Iran held a state funeral service Saturday for around 60 people, including its military commanders, killed in its war with Israel, after Tehran's top diplomat condemned Donald Trump's comments on supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as "unacceptable".The proceedings started at 8:00 am local time (0430 GMT) in the capital Tehran as government offices and many businesses were closed on Saturday for the occasion."The ceremony to honour the martyrs has officially started," state TV said, showing footage of thousands of people donning black clothes, waving Iranian flags and holding pictures of the slain military commanders.Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, along with other senior government officials and military commanders -- including Esmail Qaani, head of the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of the Revolutionary Guards -- attended the event.Senior advisor to Iran's supreme leader, Ali Shamkhani, who was targeted and wounded during the war, also took part in the ceremony, using a walking cane, state TV showed.Images also displayed mock-ups of Iranian ballistic missiles as well as coffins draped in Iranian flags and bearing portraits of the deceased commanders in uniform near Enghelab (Revolution) Square in central Tehran, where the march began.<h2>Commanders, scientists to be buried</h2>A patriotic eulogy blared from loudspeakers as the procession set out across the sprawling metropolis toward Azadi (Freedom) Square, 11 kilometres (seven miles) away."Boom boom Tel Aviv," read one banner, referring to Iranian missiles fired at Israel during the conflict in retaliation for its attacks on Iran.Among the dead is Mohammad Bagheri, a major general in Iran's Revolutionary Guards and the second-in-command of the armed forces after the Iranian leader.He will be buried alongside his wife and daughter, a journalist for a local media outlet, all killed in an Israeli attack.Nuclear scientist Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, also killed in the attacks, will be buried with his wife.Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami, who was killed on the first day of the war, will also be laid to rest after Saturday's ceremony -- which will also honour at least 30 other top commanders.Of the 60 people who are to be laid to rest after the ceremony, four are children and four are women.<h2>No sanction relief</h2>The United States had carried out strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites last weekend, joining its ally Israel's bombardments of Iran's nuclear programme in the 12-day conflict launched on June 13.Both Israel and Iran claimed victory in the war that ended with a ceasefire, with Iranian leader Khamenei downplaying the US strikes as having done "nothing significant". &nbsp;In a tirade on his Truth Social platform, Trump blasted Tehran Friday for claiming to have won the war.He also claimed to have known "EXACTLY where he (Khamenei) was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces... terminate his life"."I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, 'THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!'" the US leader said.Trump added he had been working in recent days on the possible removal of sanctions against Iran, one of Tehran's main demands."But no, instead I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more," Trump said.Hitting back at Trump Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the Republican president's comments on Khamenei."If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran's Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei," Araghchi posted on social media platform X."The Great and Powerful Iranian People, who showed the world that the Israeli regime had NO CHOICE but to RUN to 'Daddy' to avoid being flattened by our Missiles, do not take kindly to Threats and Insults."The Israeli strikes on Iran killed at least 627 civilians, Tehran's health ministry said. Iran's attacks on Israel killed 28 people, according to Israeli figures.<h2>‘Imminent threat’</h2>During his first term in office, Trump pulled out in 2018 of a landmark nuclear deal -- negotiated by former US president Barack Obama.The deal that Trump had abandoned aimed to make it practically impossible for Iran to build an atomic bomb, while at the same time allowing it to pursue a civil nuclear programme.Iran, which insists its nuclear programme is only for civilian purposes, stepped up its activities after Trump withdrew from the agreement.After the US strikes, Trump said negotiations for a new deal were set to begin next week.But Tehran denied a resumption, and leader Khamenei said Trump had "exaggerated events in unusual ways", rejecting US claims Iran's nuclear programme had been set back by decades.Israel had claimed it had "thwarted Iran's nuclear project" during the 12-day war.But its foreign minister reiterated Friday the world was obliged to stop Tehran from developing an atomic bomb."The international community now has an obligation to prevent, through any effective means, the world's most extreme regime from obtaining the most dangerous weapon," Gideon Saar wrote on X.Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

The proceedings started at 8:00 am local time (0430 GMT) in the capital Tehran as government offices and many businesses were closed on Saturday for the occasion.

Iran held a state funeral service Saturday for around 60 people, including its military commanders, killed in its war with Israel, after Tehran's top diplomat condemned Donald Trump's comments on supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as "unacceptable". The proceedings started at 8:00 am local time (0430 GMT) in the capital Tehran as government offices and many businesses were closed on Saturday for the occasion. "The ceremony to honour the martyrs has officially started," state TV said, showing footage of thousands of people donning black clothes, waving Iranian flags and holding pictures of the slain military commanders. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, along with other senior government officials and military commanders -- including Esmail Qaani, head of the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of the Revolutionary Guards -- attended the event. Senior advisor to Iran's supreme leader, Ali Shamkhani, who was targeted and wounded during the war, also took part in the ceremony, using a walking cane, state TV showed. Images also displayed mock-ups of Iranian ballistic missiles as well as coffins draped in Iranian flags and bearing portraits of the deceased commanders in uniform near Enghelab (Revolution) Square in central Tehran, where the march began. Commanders, scientists to be buried A patriotic eulogy blared from loudspeakers as the procession set out across the sprawling metropolis toward Azadi (Freedom) Square, 11 kilometres (seven miles) away. "Boom boom Tel Aviv," read one banner, referring to Iranian missiles fired at Israel during the conflict in retaliation for its attacks on Iran. Among the dead is Mohammad Bagheri, a major general in Iran's Revolutionary Guards and the second-in-command of the armed forces after the Iranian leader. He will be buried alongside his wife and daughter, a journalist for a local media outlet, all killed in an Israeli attack. Nuclear scientist Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, also killed in the attacks, will be buried with his wife. Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami, who was killed on the first day of the war, will also be laid to rest after Saturday's ceremony -- which will also honour at least 30 other top commanders. Of the 60 people who are to be laid to rest after the ceremony, four are children and four are women. No sanction relief The United States had carried out strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites last weekend, joining its ally Israel's bombardments of Iran's nuclear programme in the 12-day conflict launched on June 13. Both Israel and Iran claimed victory in the war that ended with a ceasefire, with Iranian leader Khamenei downplaying the US strikes as having done "nothing significant". In a tirade on his Truth Social platform, Trump blasted Tehran Friday for claiming to have won the war. He also claimed to have known "EXACTLY where he (Khamenei) was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces... terminate his life". "I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, 'THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!'" the US leader said. Trump added he had been working in recent days on the possible removal of sanctions against Iran, one of Tehran's main demands. "But no, instead I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more," Trump said. Hitting back at Trump Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the Republican president's comments on Khamenei. "If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran's Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei," Araghchi posted on social media platform X. "The Great and Powerful Iranian People, who showed the world that the Israeli regime had NO CHOICE but to RUN to 'Daddy' to avoid being flattened by our Missiles, do not take kindly to Threats and Insults." The Israeli strikes on Iran killed at least 627 civilians, Tehran's health ministry said. Iran's attacks on Israel killed 28 people, according to Israeli figures. ‘Imminent threat’ During his first term in office, Trump pulled out in 2018 of a landmark nuclear deal -- negotiated by former US president Barack Obama. The deal that Trump had abandoned aimed to make it practically impossible for Iran to build an atomic bomb, while at the same time allowing it to pursue a civil nuclear programme. Iran, which insists its nuclear programme is only for civilian purposes, stepped up its activities after Trump withdrew from the agreement. After the US strikes, Trump said negotiations for a new deal were set to begin next week. But Tehran denied a resumption, and leader Khamenei said Trump had "exaggerated events in unusual ways", rejecting US claims Iran's nuclear programme had been set back by decades. Israel had claimed it had "thwarted Iran's nuclear project" during the 12-day war. But its foreign minister reiterated Friday the world was obliged to stop Tehran from developing an atomic bomb. "The international community now has an obligation to prevent, through any effective means, the world's most extreme regime from obtaining the most dangerous weapon," Gideon Saar wrote on X. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

The proceedings started at 8:00 am local time (0430 GMT) in the capital Tehran as government offices and many businesses were closed on Saturday for the occasion.

Iran holds mass funeral for military leaders killed in Israeli strikes

Donald Trump's two top executives, on Wednesday (Jun 25) at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in The Hague, confirmed that a bombshell US intelligence report on Iran airstrikes was, in fact, leaked. They then quickly pivoted to denouncing the people behind the leak, calling the move politically motivated and demanding accountability. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio assumed an aggressive counteroffensive against the leaked preliminary Pentagon report that said that US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites only set the nation's nuclear programme back by a few months.<h2>What did Rubio and Hegseth say?</h2>Confirming the bombshell leak, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking at a NATO summit in the Netherlands alongside US President Donald Trump, sought to downplay the contents of the preliminary Pentagon assessment.While Trump continues to insist that the strikes caused a "total obliteration" of Iran’s nuclear capabilities, the leak, first reported by CNN and The New York Times, suggested that the underground facilities had survived the attack, with entrances sealed but no collapse of the critical subterranean infrastructure. Furthermore, the intel estimated that the damage had only caused a few months' setback to Iran's programme and not years, as Trump claimed.At the press conference, Hegseth accused unnamed insiders of leaking the report for political purposes and revealed that an FBI-led investigation was underway. "We are doing a leak investigation with the FBI now because this information is for internal purposes—battle damage investigation—and CNN and others are trying to spin it to try and make the president look bad when this was an overwhelming success," he said.He defended the precision and power of the operation, saying that "When you talk to the people who built the bombs, understand what those bombs can do, and deliver those bombs, they landed precisely where they were supposed to." Hegseth claimed the Fordow facility, buried deep within a mountain, suffered "devastation," thanks to the "30,000 pounds of explosives", even as early assessments described the damage as "moderate to severe.""The amount of munitions—six per location—any assessment that tells you it was something otherwise, is speculating with other motives, and we know that, because when you actually look at the report—by the way, it was a top secret report—it was preliminary, it was low-confidence, so you make assessments based on what you know," Hegseth said adding that he believed that the damage was likely "severe and obliterated".Rubio, taking a sharper tone, dismissed the leakers as "professional stabbers" and suggested the media was manipulating the intelligence. "On this stuff about the intelligence—this is what a leaker is telling you the intelligence says. That's the game these people play. They read it and then they go out and characterise it the way they want," he said.Rubio added that a key "conversion facility" necessary for weaponising uranium had been "wiped out," although he acknowledged that "anything in the world can be rebuilt." Still, he argued that Iran would now be under closer watch: "We know where it is, and if they try to rebuild it, we will have options there as well".<h2>Trump lashes out at media</h2>Trump also conceded that the report was "correct" but lashed out at the press over the leaked report, singling out outlets by name. "CNN is scum, MSDNC is scum, the New York Times is scum," he told reporters. "They're bad people, they’re sick.""What they've done is they’ve tried to make this unbelievable victory into something less, “he said, insisting that the report's interpretation was off. Painting the reports as a way to get ratings, he added, ”The generals and all of the people who did a good job, they get demeaned by these idiots at CNN, who can't get ratings. The place is dying, nobody even wants to waste their time going on any of their shows, so they form what [sic] The New York Times, which is dying also. Without Trump, you wouldn't have a New York Times." &nbsp;

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio assumed an aggressive counteroffensive against the leaked preliminary Pentagon report that said that US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites only set the nation's nuclear programme back by a few months.

Donald Trump's two top executives, on Wednesday (Jun 25) at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in The Hague, confirmed that a bombshell US intelligence report on Iran airstrikes was, in fact, leaked. They then quickly pivoted to denouncing the people behind the leak, calling the move politically motivated and demanding accountability. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio assumed an aggressive counteroffensive against the leaked preliminary Pentagon report that said that US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites only set the nation's nuclear programme back by a few months. What did Rubio and Hegseth say? Confirming the bombshell leak, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking at a NATO summit in the Netherlands alongside US President Donald Trump, sought to downplay the contents of the preliminary Pentagon assessment. While Trump continues to insist that the strikes caused a "total obliteration" of Iran’s nuclear capabilities, the leak, first reported by CNN and The New York Times, suggested that the underground facilities had survived the attack, with entrances sealed but no collapse of the critical subterranean infrastructure. Furthermore, the intel estimated that the damage had only caused a few months' setback to Iran's programme and not years, as Trump claimed. At the press conference, Hegseth accused unnamed insiders of leaking the report for political purposes and revealed that an FBI-led investigation was underway. "We are doing a leak investigation with the FBI now because this information is for internal purposes—battle damage investigation—and CNN and others are trying to spin it to try and make the president look bad when this was an overwhelming success," he said. He defended the precision and power of the operation, saying that "When you talk to the people who built the bombs, understand what those bombs can do, and deliver those bombs, they landed precisely where they were supposed to." Hegseth claimed the Fordow facility, buried deep within a mountain, suffered "devastation," thanks to the "30,000 pounds of explosives", even as early assessments described the damage as "moderate to severe." "The amount of munitions—six per location—any assessment that tells you it was something otherwise, is speculating with other motives, and we know that, because when you actually look at the report—by the way, it was a top secret report—it was preliminary, it was low-confidence, so you make assessments based on what you know," Hegseth said adding that he believed that the damage was likely "severe and obliterated". Rubio, taking a sharper tone, dismissed the leakers as "professional stabbers" and suggested the media was manipulating the intelligence. "On this stuff about the intelligence—this is what a leaker is telling you the intelligence says. That's the game these people play. They read it and then they go out and characterise it the way they want," he said. Rubio added that a key "conversion facility" necessary for weaponising uranium had been "wiped out," although he acknowledged that "anything in the world can be rebuilt." Still, he argued that Iran would now be under closer watch: "We know where it is, and if they try to rebuild it, we will have options there as well". Trump lashes out at media Trump also conceded that the report was "correct" but lashed out at the press over the leaked report, singling out outlets by name. "CNN is scum, MSDNC is scum, the New York Times is scum," he told reporters. "They're bad people, they’re sick." "What they've done is they’ve tried to make this unbelievable victory into something less, “he said, insisting that the report's interpretation was off. Painting the reports as a way to get ratings, he added, ”The generals and all of the people who did a good job, they get demeaned by these idiots at CNN, who can't get ratings. The place is dying, nobody even wants to waste their time going on any of their shows, so they form what [sic] The New York Times, which is dying also. Without Trump, you wouldn't have a New York Times."

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio assumed an aggressive counteroffensive against the leaked preliminary Pentagon report that said that US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites only set the nation's nuclear programme back by a few months.

Rubio, Hegseth admit US intel on Iran strikes is real — but there's a catch. Here's what they said

A leaked intel report on the early assessment of the damage wrought by US bombing on three Iranian nuclear strikes has concluded that the strike has only set Tehran's nuclear programme back by a few months. As per reports, the damage was further lessened by the fact that Iran moved enriched uranium out of the sites before the US strikes. Citing people in the know, reports suggest that Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles were moved before US President Donald Trump ordered strikes that could destroy them. Trump, on his part, has doubled down on his "obliterated" Iran's nuclear sites claim and has slammed news websites that published the US leaked intel.<h2>Iran moved nuclear stockpiles</h2>Citing two people familiar with the classified US assessment, CNN reported that Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium was not destroyed and that its centrifuges were largely "intact." One of the people who chose to stay anonymous claimed that the "enriched uranium was moved out of the sites prior to the US strikes". Similarly, The New York Times reported that "much of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium was moved before the strikes, which destroyed little of the nuclear material. Some of that may have been moved to secret nuclear sites maintained by Iran."Watch | U.S. intelligence says main components of nuke programmme not destroyed<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/u-s-intelligence-says-main-components-of-nuke-programmme-not-destroyed-1750819190440/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/u-s-intelligence-says-main-components-of-nuke-programmme-not-destroyed-1750819190440/embed</a>The leaked preliminary, classified report comes from the United States Defence Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon's intelligence arm. It suggests that the recent American bombing campaign on Iran's nuclear facilities — touted by President Donald Trump as a mission that "obliterated" Tehran's capabilities — has, in fact, only set the programme back by a few months. While earlier, as per US estimation, Iran was just three months away from making a bomb, now, as per the leaked assessment, Tehran's nuclear timeline has been delayed by as little as three months. However, quickly slamming the reports, Trump on Truth Social doubled down on his claims that the Iranian nuclear sites were "obliterated" in US strikes. Insisting that the three nuclear facilities were "completely destroyed" he ridiculed media houses that published reports casting doubt on his claims of the destruction of three nuclear sites in Iran -Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.&nbsp;

Citing people in the know, reports suggest that Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles were moved before US President Donald Trump ordered strikes that could destroy them. 

A leaked intel report on the early assessment of the damage wrought by US bombing on three Iranian nuclear strikes has concluded that the strike has only set Tehran's nuclear programme back by a few months. As per reports, the damage was further lessened by the fact that Iran moved enriched uranium out of the sites before the US strikes. Citing people in the know, reports suggest that Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles were moved before US President Donald Trump ordered strikes that could destroy them. Trump, on his part, has doubled down on his "obliterated" Iran's nuclear sites claim and has slammed news websites that published the US leaked intel. Iran moved nuclear stockpiles Citing two people familiar with the classified US assessment, CNN reported that Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium was not destroyed and that its centrifuges were largely "intact." One of the people who chose to stay anonymous claimed that the "enriched uranium was moved out of the sites prior to the US strikes". Similarly, The New York Times reported that "much of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium was moved before the strikes, which destroyed little of the nuclear material. Some of that may have been moved to secret nuclear sites maintained by Iran." Watch | U.S. intelligence says main components of nuke programmme not destroyed https://www.wionews.com/videos/u-s-intelligence-says-main-components-of-nuke-programmme-not-destroyed-1750819190440/embed The leaked preliminary, classified report comes from the United States Defence Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon's intelligence arm. It suggests that the recent American bombing campaign on Iran's nuclear facilities — touted by President Donald Trump as a mission that "obliterated" Tehran's capabilities — has, in fact, only set the programme back by a few months. While earlier, as per US estimation, Iran was just three months away from making a bomb, now, as per the leaked assessment, Tehran's nuclear timeline has been delayed by as little as three months. However, quickly slamming the reports, Trump on Truth Social doubled down on his claims that the Iranian nuclear sites were "obliterated" in US strikes. Insisting that the three nuclear facilities were "completely destroyed" he ridiculed media houses that published reports casting doubt on his claims of the destruction of three nuclear sites in Iran -Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.

Citing people in the know, reports suggest that Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles were moved before US President Donald Trump ordered strikes that could destroy them.&nbsp;

Did Iran move enriched uranium stockpile to 'secret nuclear sites' before US strike? Leaked intel report suggests so

US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, 12 days into the escalation of the conflict that started on June 13 with Israeli attacks and follow-up US strikes with B2 bombers targeting Iranian nuclear sites. He warned both countries not to violate the truce, but within hours of his social media posts, Iran rained more missiles on Israel, which vowed to respond. Trump appears to have copied Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who ended the Operation Sindoor, India's military response to Pakistan for the Pahalgam terror attack, just three days after it started on May 10. At the time of writing this, the Israel-Iran ceasefire appears to be broken. Did Trump speak too soon? Is the war really over? Why did Trump announce the truce if ground reality hasn't changed? Let's break it down.<h2>How Modi and Trump differed in announcing the ceasefires</h2>Perhaps the most important difference between the end of Operation Sindoor and the truce announcement of Trump is that, India declared that its military objective had been achieved. That objective was to hit hard inside Pakistan's terror infrastructure. The new military doctrine announced by Modi after the end of Operation Sindoor also mentioned that there will be a strong response to any Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in India in the future. He made it clear that India will not yield to any nuclear blackmail, with the Indian airstrikes having hit very near the suspected nuclear installations of Pakistan. Modi reasserted his earlier statement in the context of Ukraine-Russia war that this is not an era of war. But he also stressed that this is not an era of terrorism, either.&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/qatar-played-key-role-in-convincing-iran-to-accept-ceasefire-deal-say-diplomats-wion-breaking-1750752379342/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/qatar-played-key-role-in-convincing-iran-to-accept-ceasefire-deal-say-diplomats-wion-breaking-1750752379342/embed</a> But in the case of Trump, there are some key differences. The US is, at best, a ‘third party’ in the war, having joined it in the form of a one-off military strike, the Operation Midnight Hammer, in which B2 bombers attacked some Iranian nuclear sites. However, questions remain on whether the military objectives of the war, either of the US or Israel, have been achieved, given that Iran appears to have moved the near-bomb grade uranium it had enriched up to 60 per cent. That remains a potential threat, as Iran can resume its nuclear programme, this time with an explicit intention of building a bomb.<h2>Trump may have spoken too soon, but why?</h2>One of the reasons why Trump was very quick to announce the ceasefire is domestic politics. Democrats, who were in tatters after the last presidential elections that saw Trump thunder back into power, have now got a rallying point in the form of US intervention in the Iran-Israel war. That is not good for Trump or his Republican Party, some leaders of which are also criticising the US president. Trump's popularity will be put to test in the mid-term elections next November. As a president who got elected for the second non-consecutive term on a promise of ‘no more stupid wars’, the Israel-Iran situation provided Trump with a tough choice. America had to enter the war in order to end it quickly. A long war of attrition was not on the agenda of Trump. But events unfolding on the ground threaten to drag the US into another long-drawn conflict. &nbsp;<h2>Nobel Peace Prize hopes of Trump: A key motivator to end the war?</h2>It is interesting to note that Trump claimed credit, publicly and quite a few times, for the India-Pakistan ceasefire after Operation Sindoor, something India firmly rejected. He has been trying to end the Israel-Hamas war before it escalated into an Iran-Israel war. His efforts to end the Ukraine-Russia war haven't been fruitful yet. But Pakistan, quite stupidly, endorsed a nomination for Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. Somewhere in his heart, Trump himself probably dreams of such an honour. In reality, despite his acerbic tongue, Trump has made some efforts to end wars. But the belligerents on both sides are frustrating his efforts, particularly in the Ukraine-Russia war.&nbsp; With no more terms left (unless he manages to change the constitution), Trump is looking for a legacy. He probably wants to be known as the peacemaker president. In his first term, he made efforts to bring Israel and its traditional Arab rivals closer through the Abraham Accords. This term, he is trying hard to end American military involvement in foreign wars. But the traditional role of his nation as the global police, and the temptations from the military-industrial complex, are pulling strings elsewhere.&nbsp; While Trump might have tried a touch-and-go type operation against Iran, peace seems to be distant, and at best uneasy. The US might have to bear the consequences of having sided with Israel in the war, the latest example being the attack by Iran on the American airbase in Qatar. In the coming days, Trump would learn if another war in which he got involved, and hoped to resolve, would worsen after his interventions.

The most important difference between the end of Operation Sindoor and the truce announcement of Trump is that, India declared that its military objective had been achieved

US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, 12 days into the escalation of the conflict that started on June 13 with Israeli attacks and follow-up US strikes with B2 bombers targeting Iranian nuclear sites. He warned both countries not to violate the truce, but within hours of his social media posts, Iran rained more missiles on Israel, which vowed to respond. Trump appears to have copied Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who ended the Operation Sindoor, India's military response to Pakistan for the Pahalgam terror attack, just three days after it started on May 10. At the time of writing this, the Israel-Iran ceasefire appears to be broken. Did Trump speak too soon? Is the war really over? Why did Trump announce the truce if ground reality hasn't changed? Let's break it down. How Modi and Trump differed in announcing the ceasefires Perhaps the most important difference between the end of Operation Sindoor and the truce announcement of Trump is that, India declared that its military objective had been achieved. That objective was to hit hard inside Pakistan's terror infrastructure. The new military doctrine announced by Modi after the end of Operation Sindoor also mentioned that there will be a strong response to any Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in India in the future. He made it clear that India will not yield to any nuclear blackmail, with the Indian airstrikes having hit very near the suspected nuclear installations of Pakistan. Modi reasserted his earlier statement in the context of Ukraine-Russia war that this is not an era of war. But he also stressed that this is not an era of terrorism, either. https://www.wionews.com/videos/qatar-played-key-role-in-convincing-iran-to-accept-ceasefire-deal-say-diplomats-wion-breaking-1750752379342/embed But in the case of Trump, there are some key differences. The US is, at best, a ‘third party’ in the war, having joined it in the form of a one-off military strike, the Operation Midnight Hammer, in which B2 bombers attacked some Iranian nuclear sites. However, questions remain on whether the military objectives of the war, either of the US or Israel, have been achieved, given that Iran appears to have moved the near-bomb grade uranium it had enriched up to 60 per cent. That remains a potential threat, as Iran can resume its nuclear programme, this time with an explicit intention of building a bomb. Trump may have spoken too soon, but why? One of the reasons why Trump was very quick to announce the ceasefire is domestic politics. Democrats, who were in tatters after the last presidential elections that saw Trump thunder back into power, have now got a rallying point in the form of US intervention in the Iran-Israel war. That is not good for Trump or his Republican Party, some leaders of which are also criticising the US president. Trump's popularity will be put to test in the mid-term elections next November. As a president who got elected for the second non-consecutive term on a promise of ‘no more stupid wars’, the Israel-Iran situation provided Trump with a tough choice. America had to enter the war in order to end it quickly. A long war of attrition was not on the agenda of Trump. But events unfolding on the ground threaten to drag the US into another long-drawn conflict. Nobel Peace Prize hopes of Trump: A key motivator to end the war? It is interesting to note that Trump claimed credit, publicly and quite a few times, for the India-Pakistan ceasefire after Operation Sindoor, something India firmly rejected. He has been trying to end the Israel-Hamas war before it escalated into an Iran-Israel war. His efforts to end the Ukraine-Russia war haven't been fruitful yet. But Pakistan, quite stupidly, endorsed a nomination for Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. Somewhere in his heart, Trump himself probably dreams of such an honour. In reality, despite his acerbic tongue, Trump has made some efforts to end wars. But the belligerents on both sides are frustrating his efforts, particularly in the Ukraine-Russia war. With no more terms left (unless he manages to change the constitution), Trump is looking for a legacy. He probably wants to be known as the peacemaker president. In his first term, he made efforts to bring Israel and its traditional Arab rivals closer through the Abraham Accords. This term, he is trying hard to end American military involvement in foreign wars. But the traditional role of his nation as the global police, and the temptations from the military-industrial complex, are pulling strings elsewhere. While Trump might have tried a touch-and-go type operation against Iran, peace seems to be distant, and at best uneasy. The US might have to bear the consequences of having sided with Israel in the war, the latest example being the attack by Iran on the American airbase in Qatar. In the coming days, Trump would learn if another war in which he got involved, and hoped to resolve, would worsen after his interventions.

In the coming days, Trump would learn if another war in which he got involved and hoped to resolve, would worsen after his interventions.

Trump, dreaming of Nobel Peace Prize, may have copied Modi to end Iran-Israel war quickly, but did he speak too soon?

As per a Washington-based human rights group, Iran's death toll may be far higher than Iran admits. The group ‘Human Rights Activists’ claims that at least 950 people have been killed across Iran as a result of Israel's recent wave of airstrikes — a staggering figure that sharply contrasts Tehran's official count. The group, Human Rights Activists, cross-checks local reports in the Islamic Republic against a network of sources inside the country. The group previously provided casualty figures during the 2022 protests in the aftermath of the death of Mahsa Amini.<h2>What is the toll as per Human Rights Activists?</h2>The group ‘Human Rights Activists’ says that at least 950 people have died across Iran due to Israeli airstrikes. Of the dead, it says it has identified 380 as civilians and 253 to be members of Iran's security forces. Additionally, 3,450 others have been wounded in the ongoing onslaught, said the group.Previously, on Thursday (Jun 19), the group said that 657 people have been killed across Iran, and at least 2,037 have been wounded. Among them, it said it identified 263 civilians and 164 security force personnel.Watch | IAEA chief says underground damage at Fordow unknown at UN Security Council emergency meeting <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/iaea-chief-says-underground-damage-at-fordow-unknown-at-un-security-council-emergency-meeting-1750662649323/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/iaea-chief-says-underground-damage-at-fordow-unknown-at-un-security-council-emergency-meeting-1750662649323/embed</a><h2>What is the death toll according to Iran?</h2>The Iranian government, however, continues to downplay the scale of the damage. On Saturday (Jun 21), the country's Health Ministry admitted to just 400 dead and over 3,000 injured, without offering further breakdowns or regular updates.Tehran is yet to share a death toll, if any, from the US strikes on its nuclear bases. In an address to the nation following the bombings, Trump said "A short time ago the US military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime: Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan," adding that everyone heard those names for years as Iran built what Trump referred to as a "horribly destructive enterprise."Calling the strikes a 'spectacular military success, ' Trump said that “Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.”Labelling Tehran the world's number one state sponsor of terror, Trump said that the US's objective with these strikes was the "destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat" posed by the nation. &nbsp;

The group ‘Human Rights Activists’ says that at least 950 people have died across Iran due to Israeli airstrikes. Of the dead, it says it has identified 380 as civilians and 253 to be members of Iran's security forces.

As per a Washington-based human rights group, Iran's death toll may be far higher than Iran admits. The group ‘Human Rights Activists’ claims that at least 950 people have been killed across Iran as a result of Israel's recent wave of airstrikes — a staggering figure that sharply contrasts Tehran's official count. The group, Human Rights Activists, cross-checks local reports in the Islamic Republic against a network of sources inside the country. The group previously provided casualty figures during the 2022 protests in the aftermath of the death of Mahsa Amini. What is the toll as per Human Rights Activists? The group ‘Human Rights Activists’ says that at least 950 people have died across Iran due to Israeli airstrikes. Of the dead, it says it has identified 380 as civilians and 253 to be members of Iran's security forces. Additionally, 3,450 others have been wounded in the ongoing onslaught, said the group. Previously, on Thursday (Jun 19), the group said that 657 people have been killed across Iran, and at least 2,037 have been wounded. Among them, it said it identified 263 civilians and 164 security force personnel. Watch | IAEA chief says underground damage at Fordow unknown at UN Security Council emergency meeting https://www.wionews.com/videos/iaea-chief-says-underground-damage-at-fordow-unknown-at-un-security-council-emergency-meeting-1750662649323/embed What is the death toll according to Iran? The Iranian government, however, continues to downplay the scale of the damage. On Saturday (Jun 21), the country's Health Ministry admitted to just 400 dead and over 3,000 injured, without offering further breakdowns or regular updates. Tehran is yet to share a death toll, if any, from the US strikes on its nuclear bases. In an address to the nation following the bombings, Trump said "A short time ago the US military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime: Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan," adding that everyone heard those names for years as Iran built what Trump referred to as a "horribly destructive enterprise." Calling the strikes a 'spectacular military success, ' Trump said that “Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.” Labelling Tehran the world's number one state sponsor of terror, Trump said that the US's objective with these strikes was the "destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat" posed by the nation.

The group ‘Human Rights Activists’ says that at least 950 people have died across Iran due to Israeli airstrikes. Of the dead, it says it has identified 380 as civilians and 253 to be members of Iran's security forces.

Iran says 400 dead—rights group claims over 950 killed, around 3,500 wounded in Israeli strikes

American intelligence officials, as per reports, have picked up indications that Iran-backed militias are preparing to strike US bases in Iraq — and possibly Syria. The warning, first reported by The New York Times, comes amid fears of a broader regional blowback after the US on Saturday (Jun 21) launched devastating air strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure. As per the report citing an unnamed US official, so far, no attack has been carried out so far, and Iraqi officials were working hard to dissuade any potential militia action.<h2>Iranian threat</h2>This comes as Iran on Sunday (Jun 22) vowed that US bases across the Middle East could be "legitimate targets" if they were used to launch further strikes."America has attacked the heart of the Islamic world and must await irreparable consequences," warned Ali Akbar Velayati, senior advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. He also said that "Any country in the region or elsewhere that is used by American forces to strike Iran will be considered a legitimate target for our armed forces".In what can be seen as a sign of possible nervousness, oil markets on Monday (Jun 23) jumped with prices spiking more than four per cent in early Asia trading, in a knee-jerk reaction to fears of regional escalation.Watch | IAEA chief says underground damage at Fordow unknown at UN Security Council emergency meeting <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/iaea-chief-says-underground-damage-at-fordow-unknown-at-un-security-council-emergency-meeting-1750662649323/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/iaea-chief-says-underground-damage-at-fordow-unknown-at-un-security-council-emergency-meeting-1750662649323/embed</a><h2>'Spectacular success' or the beginning of something bigger?</h2>US President Donald Trump on Sunday (Jun 22) was quick to hail the surprise US assault — which targeted Iran's heavily fortified nuclear facilities at Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz — as a "spectacular military success." On Truth Social, he claimed that America took "the 'bomb' right out of their hands (and they would use it if they could!)".In another post, he stopped short of calling for regime change, choosing to hint at it instead: “It's not politically correct to use the term 'regime change',” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. "But if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!"At the Pentagon, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed Iran's nuclear program was "devastated," while top US general Dan Caine said all three targets "sustained extremely severe damage and destruction."

The warning comes amid fears of a broader regional blowback after the US on Saturday (Jun 21) launched devastating air strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure. 

American intelligence officials, as per reports, have picked up indications that Iran-backed militias are preparing to strike US bases in Iraq — and possibly Syria. The warning, first reported by The New York Times, comes amid fears of a broader regional blowback after the US on Saturday (Jun 21) launched devastating air strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure. As per the report citing an unnamed US official, so far, no attack has been carried out so far, and Iraqi officials were working hard to dissuade any potential militia action. Iranian threat This comes as Iran on Sunday (Jun 22) vowed that US bases across the Middle East could be "legitimate targets" if they were used to launch further strikes. "America has attacked the heart of the Islamic world and must await irreparable consequences," warned Ali Akbar Velayati, senior advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. He also said that "Any country in the region or elsewhere that is used by American forces to strike Iran will be considered a legitimate target for our armed forces". In what can be seen as a sign of possible nervousness, oil markets on Monday (Jun 23) jumped with prices spiking more than four per cent in early Asia trading, in a knee-jerk reaction to fears of regional escalation. Watch | IAEA chief says underground damage at Fordow unknown at UN Security Council emergency meeting https://www.wionews.com/videos/iaea-chief-says-underground-damage-at-fordow-unknown-at-un-security-council-emergency-meeting-1750662649323/embed 'Spectacular success' or the beginning of something bigger? US President Donald Trump on Sunday (Jun 22) was quick to hail the surprise US assault — which targeted Iran's heavily fortified nuclear facilities at Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz — as a "spectacular military success." On Truth Social, he claimed that America took "the 'bomb' right out of their hands (and they would use it if they could!)". In another post, he stopped short of calling for regime change, choosing to hint at it instead: “It's not politically correct to use the term 'regime change',” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. "But if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!" At the Pentagon, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed Iran's nuclear program was "devastated," while top US general Dan Caine said all three targets "sustained extremely severe damage and destruction."

The warning comes amid fears of a broader regional blowback after the US on Saturday (Jun 21) launched devastating air strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure.&nbsp;

US bases in Iraq on alert as intel hints at potential retaliation by Iran-backed militias: Report

A Dubai-bound Air India Express flight was forced to return from the taxiway at Jaipur airport early Monday (Jun 23) morning after a technical glitch was detected. The incident, as per reports, occurred around 6:05 AM IST (1235 GMT). The plane in question has been identified as Flight IX-195, which was scheduled to depart from Jaipur to Dubai. According to officials, the aircraft had already completed passenger boarding and had begun taxiing toward the runway when a technical issue was reported. The pilots then turned the aircraft back to the parking bay as a precaution. As of now, all passengers (nearly 130 people) remain seated inside the aircraft, as an engineering team works to fix the issue.No injuries or safety concerns have been reported so far. Further information is awaited.(More to follow)

According to officials, the aircraft had already completed passenger boarding and had begun taxiing toward the runway when a technical issue was reported.

A Dubai-bound Air India Express flight was forced to return from the taxiway at Jaipur airport early Monday (Jun 23) morning after a technical glitch was detected. The incident, as per reports, occurred around 6:05 AM IST (1235 GMT). The plane in question has been identified as Flight IX-195, which was scheduled to depart from Jaipur to Dubai. According to officials, the aircraft had already completed passenger boarding and had begun taxiing toward the runway when a technical issue was reported. The pilots then turned the aircraft back to the parking bay as a precaution. As of now, all passengers (nearly 130 people) remain seated inside the aircraft, as an engineering team works to fix the issue. No injuries or safety concerns have been reported so far. Further information is awaited. (More to follow)

According to officials, the aircraft had already completed passenger boarding and had begun taxiing toward the runway when a technical issue was reported.

Air India Express flight IX-195 aborts takeoff at Jaipur after technical glitch

As of June 22, 2025, the conflict between Iran and Israel has intensified dramatically. Israel, under Operation Rising Lion, launched a wave of airstrikes beginning June 13, targeting Iran's nuclear facilities and military infrastructure. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the action as a preemptive move to stop Iran from reaching nuclear weapon capability.The United States has now joined the conflict. On June 22, President Donald Trump confirmed successful American strikes on three of Iran’s key nuclear sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—further escalating tensions. In response, Iran fired ballistic missiles into Israel, causing casualties and sparking fears of a wider regional war.The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities but reported no abnormal radiation leaks. While Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful, the U.S. and Israel argue that Tehran’s uranium enrichment—especially at the underground Fordow site—points to a secret weapons programme.<h2>The Challenge of Making a Nuclear Bomb</h2>At first glance, building a nuclear bomb might seem straightforward: gather enough radioactive material, and a chain reaction can trigger an explosion. But in reality, the hardest and most complex step is acquiring and refining the right material—either enriched uranium or plutonium.Uranium is a naturally occurring element found in rocks. However, only one form—uranium-235 (U-235)—can be used for a nuclear explosion. This isotope makes up less than 1% of natural uranium and must be extracted through an elaborate process known as enrichment. The more U-235 is concentrated, the more powerful and compact the weapon becomes.Watch | IAEA chief says underground damage at Fordow unknown at UN Security Council emergency meeting <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/iaea-chief-says-underground-damage-at-fordow-unknown-at-un-security-council-emergency-meeting-1750662649323/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/iaea-chief-says-underground-damage-at-fordow-unknown-at-un-security-council-emergency-meeting-1750662649323/embed</a>In nuclear reactors, uranium is enriched to about 3–5% to produce electricity. But for a nuclear weapon, enrichment must go beyond 90%. The more enriched the uranium, the less is needed to build a bomb. For example:<ul><li>Uranium enriched to 15% requires over 600 kg for a bomb.</li><li>At 20%, around 400 kg is needed.</li><li>At 90% or more (weapons-grade), only about 25 kg is enough.</li></ul>That’s why uranium enrichment is closely monitored by global nuclear watchdogs—it’s a critical step toward weaponisation.<h2>How Iran Enriches Uranium</h2>Iran uses a method called centrifugation to enrich uranium. Natural uranium is converted into a gas, uranium hexafluoride, and spun at high speeds in centrifuges. This process separates the lighter U-235 from the heavier U-238. After multiple cycles, the uranium becomes more enriched and suitable either for energy production or, if taken further, for use in weapons.Iran already possesses uranium enriched to 60%, which is alarmingly close to weapons-grade. This enrichment level reduces the time needed to reach the 90% mark, raising international concerns.<h2>Plutonium: Another Path to a Bomb</h2>While uranium gets most of the attention, plutonium is another option for building nuclear weapons. It doesn’t exist in large amounts in nature but is produced inside nuclear reactors when uranium fuel is used. With reprocessing, about 10 kg of plutonium—enough for one bomb—can be extracted each year from a typical power plant.Experts often consider plutonium more dangerous than uranium because it allows for smaller, lighter warheads that are easier to fit onto missiles. However, reprocessing plutonium is highly technical, expensive, and easier to detect.<h2>Can a Nuclear Bomb Explode by Accident?</h2>A nuclear explosion requires the material to reach “critical mass”—a certain amount of fissile material packed together to sustain a chain reaction. To prevent accidental detonation, nuclear weapons are designed so the fissile material remains in separate parts until deliberately triggered.If these sub-critical pieces are somehow brought together—due to an accident or malfunction—they could start an uncontrolled chain reaction. This risk is why nuclear bombs are built with complex safety systems to prevent unintended explosions.<h2>What Lies Ahead?</h2>The recent strikes by Israel and the U.S. have reignited global concern over nuclear weapons. Iran insists it is not pursuing a bomb, but its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium—and its advanced centrifuge technology—suggest it is well within reach of weapons-grade capability.Some experts fear that the attacks may push Iran further toward building a nuclear deterrent, believing that only such a capability can prevent future strikes. With diplomatic channels narrowing and military escalation continuing, the international community faces the challenge of preventing a full-scale nuclear crisis.

At first glance, building a nuclear bomb might seem straightforward: gather enough radioactive material, and a chain reaction can trigger an explosion. But in reality, the hardest and most complex step is acquiring and refining the right material—either enriched uranium or plutonium.

As of June 22, 2025, the conflict between Iran and Israel has intensified dramatically. Israel, under Operation Rising Lion, launched a wave of airstrikes beginning June 13, targeting Iran's nuclear facilities and military infrastructure. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the action as a preemptive move to stop Iran from reaching nuclear weapon capability. The United States has now joined the conflict. On June 22, President Donald Trump confirmed successful American strikes on three of Iran’s key nuclear sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—further escalating tensions. In response, Iran fired ballistic missiles into Israel, causing casualties and sparking fears of a wider regional war. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities but reported no abnormal radiation leaks. While Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful, the U.S. and Israel argue that Tehran’s uranium enrichment—especially at the underground Fordow site—points to a secret weapons programme. The Challenge of Making a Nuclear Bomb At first glance, building a nuclear bomb might seem straightforward: gather enough radioactive material, and a chain reaction can trigger an explosion. But in reality, the hardest and most complex step is acquiring and refining the right material—either enriched uranium or plutonium. Uranium is a naturally occurring element found in rocks. However, only one form—uranium-235 (U-235)—can be used for a nuclear explosion. This isotope makes up less than 1% of natural uranium and must be extracted through an elaborate process known as enrichment. The more U-235 is concentrated, the more powerful and compact the weapon becomes. Watch | IAEA chief says underground damage at Fordow unknown at UN Security Council emergency meeting https://www.wionews.com/videos/iaea-chief-says-underground-damage-at-fordow-unknown-at-un-security-council-emergency-meeting-1750662649323/embed In nuclear reactors, uranium is enriched to about 3–5% to produce electricity. But for a nuclear weapon, enrichment must go beyond 90%. The more enriched the uranium, the less is needed to build a bomb. For example: Uranium enriched to 15% requires over 600 kg for a bomb. At 20%, around 400 kg is needed. At 90% or more (weapons-grade), only about 25 kg is enough. That’s why uranium enrichment is closely monitored by global nuclear watchdogs—it’s a critical step toward weaponisation. How Iran Enriches Uranium Iran uses a method called centrifugation to enrich uranium. Natural uranium is converted into a gas, uranium hexafluoride, and spun at high speeds in centrifuges. This process separates the lighter U-235 from the heavier U-238. After multiple cycles, the uranium becomes more enriched and suitable either for energy production or, if taken further, for use in weapons. Iran already possesses uranium enriched to 60%, which is alarmingly close to weapons-grade. This enrichment level reduces the time needed to reach the 90% mark, raising international concerns. Plutonium: Another Path to a Bomb While uranium gets most of the attention, plutonium is another option for building nuclear weapons. It doesn’t exist in large amounts in nature but is produced inside nuclear reactors when uranium fuel is used. With reprocessing, about 10 kg of plutonium—enough for one bomb—can be extracted each year from a typical power plant. Experts often consider plutonium more dangerous than uranium because it allows for smaller, lighter warheads that are easier to fit onto missiles. However, reprocessing plutonium is highly technical, expensive, and easier to detect. Can a Nuclear Bomb Explode by Accident? A nuclear explosion requires the material to reach “critical mass”—a certain amount of fissile material packed together to sustain a chain reaction. To prevent accidental detonation, nuclear weapons are designed so the fissile material remains in separate parts until deliberately triggered. If these sub-critical pieces are somehow brought together—due to an accident or malfunction—they could start an uncontrolled chain reaction. This risk is why nuclear bombs are built with complex safety systems to prevent unintended explosions. What Lies Ahead? The recent strikes by Israel and the U.S. have reignited global concern over nuclear weapons. Iran insists it is not pursuing a bomb, but its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium—and its advanced centrifuge technology—suggest it is well within reach of weapons-grade capability. Some experts fear that the attacks may push Iran further toward building a nuclear deterrent, believing that only such a capability can prevent future strikes. With diplomatic channels narrowing and military escalation continuing, the international community faces the challenge of preventing a full-scale nuclear crisis.

At first glance, building a nuclear bomb might seem straightforward: gather enough radioactive material, and a chain reaction can trigger an explosion. But in reality, the hardest and most complex step is acquiring and refining the right material—either enriched uranium or plutonium.

What it takes to make a nuclear bomb—and why Israel is trying to stop Iran

The United States on Sunday (Jun 22) sounded a "worldwide caution" for American citizens, urging them to be on high alert — wherever they are. The reason? As per the US State Department, the rapidly escalating Middle East crisis could put people travelling or living abroad at an increased security risk. The advisory warned of "potential for demonstrations against US citizens and interests abroad".<h2>"Increased caution" advised</h2>The State Department's security alert says that "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 Department of State advises US citizens worldwide to exercise increased caution," it adds.However, the advisory has no mention of the United States' intervention in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.<h2>Fuming Tehran warns of 'irreparable consequences'</h2>Late on Saturday (Jun 21), the US officially entered the conflict between Tel Aviv and Tehran, carrying out air strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities – Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. Fuming at the bombing, Iran warned that the move would have "irreparable consequences".On Sunday (Jun 22) Tehran threatened US bases in the Middle East, warning that the United States troops could face retaliation for the unprecedented air strikes that the Pentagon claimed devastated Iran's nuclear programme.Iranian officials also issued a fiery warning — not just to Washington, but to the entire region. The nation warned that any nation that helped America carry out the strikes would also be considered a "legitimate target"."Any country in the region or elsewhere that is used by American forces to strike Iran will be considered a legitimate target for our armed forces," said Ali Akbar Velayati, an advisor to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a message carried by the official IRNA news agency.The US, for its part, appears to be preparing for what could come next. On Saturday, it began evacuation flights out of Israel, for American citizens and permanent residents stuck in Israel or the West Bank. Diplomatic staff in Iraq and Lebanon were also ordered to pack up and leave the nations. &nbsp;

As per the US State Department, the rapidly escalating Middle East crisis could put people travelling or living abroad at an increased security risk. The advisory warned of "potential for demonstrations against US citizens and interests abroad".

The United States on Sunday (Jun 22) sounded a "worldwide caution" for American citizens, urging them to be on high alert — wherever they are. The reason? As per the US State Department, the rapidly escalating Middle East crisis could put people travelling or living abroad at an increased security risk. The advisory warned of "potential for demonstrations against US citizens and interests abroad". "Increased caution" advised The State Department's security alert says that "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 Department of State advises US citizens worldwide to exercise increased caution," it adds. However, the advisory has no mention of the United States' intervention in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. Fuming Tehran warns of 'irreparable consequences' Late on Saturday (Jun 21), the US officially entered the conflict between Tel Aviv and Tehran, carrying out air strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities – Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. Fuming at the bombing, Iran warned that the move would have "irreparable consequences". On Sunday (Jun 22) Tehran threatened US bases in the Middle East, warning that the United States troops could face retaliation for the unprecedented air strikes that the Pentagon claimed devastated Iran's nuclear programme. Iranian officials also issued a fiery warning — not just to Washington, but to the entire region. The nation warned that any nation that helped America carry out the strikes would also be considered a "legitimate target". "Any country in the region or elsewhere that is used by American forces to strike Iran will be considered a legitimate target for our armed forces," said Ali Akbar Velayati, an advisor to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a message carried by the official IRNA news agency. The US, for its part, appears to be preparing for what could come next. On Saturday, it began evacuation flights out of Israel, for American citizens and permanent residents stuck in Israel or the West Bank. Diplomatic staff in Iraq and Lebanon were also ordered to pack up and leave the nations.

As per the US State Department, the rapidly escalating Middle East crisis could put people travelling or living abroad at an increased security risk. The advisory warned of "potential for demonstrations against US citizens and interests abroad".

US issues global security alert for citizens as tensions between Israel and Iran continue to spiral

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Saturday (Jun 21) announced that they have launched yet another wave of attacks on Israel—its 19th since June 13—escalating the already volatile military confrontation with Tel Aviv. This 19th phase of "Operation True Promise 3," as per reports, includes swarms of suicide drones aimed at "strategic targets" in both northern and southern Israel.<h2>Israel's Dimona nuclear facility 'legitimate target': Iran</h2>Confirming the 19th wave of its True Promise 3 campaign, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that the latest wave would include a large number of drones that would target northern and southern Israel. Speaking to Al Jazeera, a senior Iranian official warned that Tehran could now consider Israel's Dimona nuclear facility a “legitimate target” if the war enters what he ominously described as the next stage.The official noted that Iran has already wrought significant damage on Israel and accused Tel Aviv of hiding the extent of its losses. He also said that Tehran was yet to use its most advanced missiles. "We have yet to deploy our most advanced missiles—but we will, without a doubt," he warned.The official, as per the report, claimed that Tehran's current strategy was to bleed out Israel's missile defense systems. "We have detailed intelligence on their air defence capacity and are systematically wearing it down," he said.In the statement issued before the US launched a direct attack on Iran's nuclear sites, the official had also warned the US against getting involved, claiming that for Iran, targeting US bases in the region would be "easier than hitting Israel's heartland".&nbsp;The United States on Saturday (Jun 21) officially entered the war in the Middle East as it bombed three nuclear sites inside Iran. Taking to his Truth Social profile, US President Donald Trump announced the strikes on Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan nuclear sites. He said that a "full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow".&nbsp;

This 19th phase of "Operation True Promise 3," as per reports, includes swarms of suicide drones aimed at "strategic targets" in both northern and southern Israel.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Saturday (Jun 21) announced that they have launched yet another wave of attacks on Israel—its 19th since June 13—escalating the already volatile military confrontation with Tel Aviv. This 19th phase of "Operation True Promise 3," as per reports, includes swarms of suicide drones aimed at "strategic targets" in both northern and southern Israel. Israel's Dimona nuclear facility 'legitimate target': Iran Confirming the 19th wave of its True Promise 3 campaign, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that the latest wave would include a large number of drones that would target northern and southern Israel. Speaking to Al Jazeera, a senior Iranian official warned that Tehran could now consider Israel's Dimona nuclear facility a “legitimate target” if the war enters what he ominously described as the next stage. The official noted that Iran has already wrought significant damage on Israel and accused Tel Aviv of hiding the extent of its losses. He also said that Tehran was yet to use its most advanced missiles. "We have yet to deploy our most advanced missiles—but we will, without a doubt," he warned. The official, as per the report, claimed that Tehran's current strategy was to bleed out Israel's missile defense systems. "We have detailed intelligence on their air defence capacity and are systematically wearing it down," he said. In the statement issued before the US launched a direct attack on Iran's nuclear sites, the official had also warned the US against getting involved, claiming that for Iran, targeting US bases in the region would be "easier than hitting Israel's heartland". The United States on Saturday (Jun 21) officially entered the war in the Middle East as it bombed three nuclear sites inside Iran. Taking to his Truth Social profile, US President Donald Trump announced the strikes on Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan nuclear sites. He said that a "full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow".

This 19th phase of "Operation True Promise 3," as per reports, includes swarms of suicide drones aimed at "strategic targets" in both northern and southern Israel.

Iran warns of escalation, launches 19th wave of Operation 'True Promise 3' against Israel

The United States, as per reports, has stepped up surveillance of Iranian sleeper cells. As things heat up in the Middle East with the US joining Israel's war against Iran and its nuclear programme, America has reportedly stepped up surveillance of Iran-backed operatives in the country. FBI Director Kash Patel has asked his team to step up efforts to monitor possible sleeper cells linked to Hezbollah, a designated foreign terrorist organisation.<h2>Why is the US worried?</h2>As per a CBS News report citing anonymous sources, the increased surveillance comes after Israel's Operation Rising Lion offensive began earlier this month.For years, America has been worried about sleeper cells and Tehran's ability to direct or inspire attacks. However, the threat of Iranian operatives has become a major cause of worry for United States administrations, both current and previous, since Iranian General Qasem Soleimani's assassination during Donald Trump's first term in January 2020.&nbsp;As the US officially enters the Israel-Iran conflict, Tehran or its proxies, including Hezbollah, could activate dormant networks on US soil, which is why the FBI is sounding alarms—and why surveillance is ramping up—now, before any activation occurs. But what exactly are sleeper cells? Here's all you need to know.<h2>What are sleeper cells?</h2>Sleeper cells are the term used to refer to covert operatives that are embedded in a target country with no immediate mission until activated or called to action by their operatives.These operatives often live quiet, unassuming lives, fully assimilated—working regular jobs, holding down routine roles—until they suddenly "wake up" to execute a mission. Sleeper cells are arguably the most insidious and unpredictable threat, because these operatives hide in plain sight, often invisible until it's too late.The US Department of Homeland Security has once again sounded the alarm on Iran's global threat posture, warning that the Islamic Republic is expected to continue sponsoring terrorism and plotting attacks against individuals, including current and former American officials. The latest assessment echoes a similar report issued by DHS under the Biden administration in 2024.Mike Nelson, a retired Special Forces lieutenant colonel with CENTCOM experience, told News Nation that Hezbollah has had sleeper cells in the western hemisphere for some time, including coming through Venezuela. He said that Iranians and Hezbollah have used these cells in the past, including during the Jewish Community Centre bombing in Buenos Aires in 1994."It seems likely (Hezbollah and Iran) would try to activate sleeper cells in the United States as retaliation if the U.S. joins in the strikes, so it would be prudent for the FBI to be monitoring," said Nelson.According to Nelson, Iran’s regime views its survival as the endgame. "The Iranian regime wants this to end with them in power, and their primary concern is survival," he said.&nbsp;

As the US officially enters the Israel-Iran conflict, Tehran or its proxies, including Hezbollah, could potentially activate sleeper cells on US soil. But what exactly are sleeper cells? Here's all you need to know.

The United States, as per reports, has stepped up surveillance of Iranian sleeper cells. As things heat up in the Middle East with the US joining Israel's war against Iran and its nuclear programme, America has reportedly stepped up surveillance of Iran-backed operatives in the country. FBI Director Kash Patel has asked his team to step up efforts to monitor possible sleeper cells linked to Hezbollah, a designated foreign terrorist organisation. Why is the US worried? As per a CBS News report citing anonymous sources, the increased surveillance comes after Israel's Operation Rising Lion offensive began earlier this month. For years, America has been worried about sleeper cells and Tehran's ability to direct or inspire attacks. However, the threat of Iranian operatives has become a major cause of worry for United States administrations, both current and previous, since Iranian General Qasem Soleimani's assassination during Donald Trump's first term in January 2020. As the US officially enters the Israel-Iran conflict, Tehran or its proxies, including Hezbollah, could activate dormant networks on US soil, which is why the FBI is sounding alarms—and why surveillance is ramping up—now, before any activation occurs. But what exactly are sleeper cells? Here's all you need to know. What are sleeper cells? Sleeper cells are the term used to refer to covert operatives that are embedded in a target country with no immediate mission until activated or called to action by their operatives. These operatives often live quiet, unassuming lives, fully assimilated—working regular jobs, holding down routine roles—until they suddenly "wake up" to execute a mission. Sleeper cells are arguably the most insidious and unpredictable threat, because these operatives hide in plain sight, often invisible until it's too late. The US Department of Homeland Security has once again sounded the alarm on Iran's global threat posture, warning that the Islamic Republic is expected to continue sponsoring terrorism and plotting attacks against individuals, including current and former American officials. The latest assessment echoes a similar report issued by DHS under the Biden administration in 2024. Mike Nelson, a retired Special Forces lieutenant colonel with CENTCOM experience, told News Nation that Hezbollah has had sleeper cells in the western hemisphere for some time, including coming through Venezuela. He said that Iranians and Hezbollah have used these cells in the past, including during the Jewish Community Centre bombing in Buenos Aires in 1994. "It seems likely (Hezbollah and Iran) would try to activate sleeper cells in the United States as retaliation if the U.S. joins in the strikes, so it would be prudent for the FBI to be monitoring," said Nelson. According to Nelson, Iran’s regime views its survival as the endgame. "The Iranian regime wants this to end with them in power, and their primary concern is survival," he said.

As the US officially enters the Israel-Iran conflict, Tehran or its proxies, including Hezbollah, could potentially activate sleeper cells on US soil. But what exactly are sleeper cells? Here's all you need to know.

Explained: What are Iranian sleeper cells—and why is the FBI on high alert?

Iran's state television on Sunday (Jun 22) revealed that Tehran has launched a fresh salvo of 30 missiles at Israel—just hours after Tel Aviv's closest ally, the United States, bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities in a dramatic overnight escalation. As per reports, at least 11 people have been hurt in the fresh Iranian strikes launched at Israel from around 7:30 am (0430 GMT). Additionally, at least one impact was reported in central Israel after Iran launched two waves of missiles. As per reports, at least 86 people have been injured in the attack. The Health Ministry reported that 86 injured people arrived at hospitals due to the latest round of Iranian missile strikes, including two in moderate condition, 77 in good condition, four victims suffering from acute bouts of anxiety, and three who were undergoing medical evaluation.Previously, Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service, in a statement, said that "11 people were taken to the hospital, including one in moderate condition — a 30-year-old man wounded in the upper body by shrapnel." Israeli public broadcaster KAN 11 showed images of a devastated building surrounded by mounds of rubble that it said was in central Israel.&nbsp;<h2>Is Iran retaliating?</h2>Interrupting the regular programme, a presenter told the audience about the missile launch. "These live images you are seeing are of a new salvo of Iranian missiles fired on the occupied territories," the presenter declared during the broadcast, using Iran's standard term for Israel. Quoting unnamed “sources,” the anchor added, "30 missiles have been launched at Israel from Iran".The fresh missile launch marks a swift retaliatory response by Tehran after the US assault on its key nuclear sites of Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. It comes despite US President Donald Trump's warnings against any retaliation. In his late-night address to the nation on Saturday (Jun 21) and later on Truth Social, Trump warned Iran that "Any retaliation by Iran against the United States of America will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight".Watch | Who will succeed Khamenei? Iran’s Supreme leadership future in focus amid US-Iran conflict<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/who-will-succeed-khamenei-iran-s-supreme-leadership-future-in-focus-amid-us-iran-conflict-1750576252533/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/who-will-succeed-khamenei-iran-s-supreme-leadership-future-in-focus-amid-us-iran-conflict-1750576252533/embed</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

The fresh missile launch marks a swift retaliatory response by Tehran after the US assault on its key nuclear sites of Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. It comes despite US President Donald Trump's warnings against any retaliation.

Iran's state television on Sunday (Jun 22) revealed that Tehran has launched a fresh salvo of 30 missiles at Israel—just hours after Tel Aviv's closest ally, the United States, bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities in a dramatic overnight escalation. As per reports, at least 11 people have been hurt in the fresh Iranian strikes launched at Israel from around 7:30 am (0430 GMT). Additionally, at least one impact was reported in central Israel after Iran launched two waves of missiles. As per reports, at least 86 people have been injured in the attack. The Health Ministry reported that 86 injured people arrived at hospitals due to the latest round of Iranian missile strikes, including two in moderate condition, 77 in good condition, four victims suffering from acute bouts of anxiety, and three who were undergoing medical evaluation. Previously, Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service, in a statement, said that "11 people were taken to the hospital, including one in moderate condition — a 30-year-old man wounded in the upper body by shrapnel." Israeli public broadcaster KAN 11 showed images of a devastated building surrounded by mounds of rubble that it said was in central Israel. Is Iran retaliating? Interrupting the regular programme, a presenter told the audience about the missile launch. "These live images you are seeing are of a new salvo of Iranian missiles fired on the occupied territories," the presenter declared during the broadcast, using Iran's standard term for Israel. Quoting unnamed “sources,” the anchor added, "30 missiles have been launched at Israel from Iran". The fresh missile launch marks a swift retaliatory response by Tehran after the US assault on its key nuclear sites of Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. It comes despite US President Donald Trump's warnings against any retaliation. In his late-night address to the nation on Saturday (Jun 21) and later on Truth Social, Trump warned Iran that "Any retaliation by Iran against the United States of America will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight". Watch | Who will succeed Khamenei? Iran’s Supreme leadership future in focus amid US-Iran conflict https://www.wionews.com/videos/who-will-succeed-khamenei-iran-s-supreme-leadership-future-in-focus-amid-us-iran-conflict-1750576252533/embed

The fresh missile launch marks a swift retaliatory response by Tehran after the US assault on its key nuclear sites of Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. It comes despite US President Donald Trump's warnings against any retaliation.

Iran hits back: 86 injured as Tehran fires 30 missiles at Israel despite Trump's warning against retaliating after US strikes on nuclear sites

The United States on Saturday (Jun 21) officially entered the war in the Middle East as it bombed three nuclear sites inside Iran. Taking to his Truth Social profile, US President Donald Trump announced the strikes on Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan nuclear sites. He said that a "full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow". As per reports, this dramatic escalation of the Israel-Iran war was done by Trump without authorisation from the US Congress and the Pentagon. But did he have the authority to do so? Or did Trump overreach his authority as the POTUS?<h2>Trump's post on successful strikes</h2>In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced that the US has “completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.” He added that “all planes are now outside of Iran air space" and were “on their way home”.“A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow,” he said while congratulating “our great American Warriors,” and noting that “There is not another military in the world that could have done this.”“NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!”&nbsp;<h2>What does the US Constitution say about war?</h2>As per the US Constitution, the President of the United States, be it Trump or another, must go to Congress before declaring war on any nation. As per Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the US Constitution, “[The Congress shall have Power …] To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water…”However, it must be noted that the US Congress has not declared war in over 80 years – since World War II. Yet, the US has been part of many wars, including the Afghanistan War, officially known as Operation Enduring Freedom, which happens to be the longest war in US history (from 2001 to 2021).Watch | US Strikes Iran | Iran media: US now a legitimate target as US conducts strikes in Iranhttps://www.wionews.com/videos/breaking-us-strikes-iran-iran-media-us-now-a-legitimate-target-as-us-conducts-strikes-in-iran-1750560955268/embed<h2>So how did Trump authorise war efforts?</h2>In the decades since WW2, American presidents have sent troops and missiles into foreign conflicts again and again without a new declaration. For this, they lean on existing authorisations. Chief among them: the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF), passed just days after the September 11 attacks.&nbsp;As per CNN, this single resolution has been used to justify military operations in at least 15 countries across the world.&nbsp;

As per reports, this dramatic escalation of the Israel-Iran war was done by Trump without authorisation from the US Congress and the Pentagon.

The United States on Saturday (Jun 21) officially entered the war in the Middle East as it bombed three nuclear sites inside Iran. Taking to his Truth Social profile, US President Donald Trump announced the strikes on Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan nuclear sites. He said that a "full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow". As per reports, this dramatic escalation of the Israel-Iran war was done by Trump without authorisation from the US Congress and the Pentagon. But did he have the authority to do so? Or did Trump overreach his authority as the POTUS? Trump's post on successful strikes In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced that the US has “completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.” He added that “all planes are now outside of Iran air space" and were “on their way home”. “A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow,” he said while congratulating “our great American Warriors,” and noting that “There is not another military in the world that could have done this.” “NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!” What does the US Constitution say about war? As per the US Constitution, the President of the United States, be it Trump or another, must go to Congress before declaring war on any nation. As per Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the US Constitution, “[The Congress shall have Power …] To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water…” However, it must be noted that the US Congress has not declared war in over 80 years – since World War II. Yet, the US has been part of many wars, including the Afghanistan War, officially known as Operation Enduring Freedom, which happens to be the longest war in US history (from 2001 to 2021). Watch | US Strikes Iran | Iran media: US now a legitimate target as US conducts strikes in Iran https://www.wionews.com/videos/breaking-us-strikes-iran-iran-media-us-now-a-legitimate-target-as-us-conducts-strikes-in-iran-1750560955268/embed So how did Trump authorise war efforts? In the decades since WW2, American presidents have sent troops and missiles into foreign conflicts again and again without a new declaration. For this, they lean on existing authorisations. Chief among them: the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF), passed just days after the September 11 attacks. As per CNN, this single resolution has been used to justify military operations in at least 15 countries across the world.

As per reports, this dramatic escalation of the Israel-Iran war was done by Trump without authorisation from the US Congress and the Pentagon.

Did Trump bypass Congress and Pentagon to attack Iran nuclear sites? Reports suggest so

Truth Social buckled under pressure Saturday (Jun 21) night—just minutes after US President Donald Trump announced that the US had launched strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites. At around 8 pm ET, users across the US and abroad began seeing error messages when attempting to access the platform. "Network failed," the app read. "Please try again." In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced that the US has “completed our very successful attack on the three nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.” He added that “all planes are now outside of Iran air space" and were “on their way home”.&nbsp;<h2>Trump breaks Truth Social</h2>The outage began shortly after 7:46 pm ET, when Trump posted what appeared to be a real-time announcement: the US, he said, had conducted a “very successful attack” on Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan—three major nuclear facilities deep inside Iran.“A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow,” he said while congratulating “our great American Warriors,” and noting that “There is not another military in the world that could have done this."The post, laced with signature Trump flair, ended with, "NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”Truth Social went down almost immediately. By 8 pm, DownDetector, a website that crowdsources service outages, showed a significant spike in outage reports. The reason for the apparent outage was, however, not immediately clear.&nbsp;Watch | US bombs Fordo and other nuclear sites in Iran | Trump says Iran must now agree to end this warhttps://www.wionews.com/videos/us-bombs-fordo-and-other-nuclear-sites-in-iran-trump-says-iran-must-now-agree-to-end-this-war-1750557342337/embedNetBlocks, an internet watchdog group, confirmed the platform was experiencing widespread international disruptions, adding that this was 'not' due to censorship or state-level filtering. In a post on BlueSky just before 9 pm ET, it said: “Truth Social is experiencing international outages for many users after US President Donald Trump announces strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran; incident not related to country-level internet disruptions or filtering.”It's unclear whether the surge in traffic crashed the platform, or whether a technical fault coincided with the announcement. An official statement from Trump Media &amp; Technology Group (TMTG), the company behind Truth Social is awaited.

At around 8 pm ET, users across the US and abroad began seeing error messages when attempting to access the platform. "Network failed," the app read. "Please try again."

Truth Social buckled under pressure Saturday (Jun 21) night—just minutes after US President Donald Trump announced that the US had launched strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites. At around 8 pm ET, users across the US and abroad began seeing error messages when attempting to access the platform. "Network failed," the app read. "Please try again." In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced that the US has “completed our very successful attack on the three nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.” He added that “all planes are now outside of Iran air space" and were “on their way home”. Trump breaks Truth Social The outage began shortly after 7:46 pm ET, when Trump posted what appeared to be a real-time announcement: the US, he said, had conducted a “very successful attack” on Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan—three major nuclear facilities deep inside Iran. “A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow,” he said while congratulating “our great American Warriors,” and noting that “There is not another military in the world that could have done this." The post, laced with signature Trump flair, ended with, "NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter.” Truth Social went down almost immediately. By 8 pm, DownDetector, a website that crowdsources service outages, showed a significant spike in outage reports. The reason for the apparent outage was, however, not immediately clear. Watch | US bombs Fordo and other nuclear sites in Iran | Trump says Iran must now agree to end this war https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-bombs-fordo-and-other-nuclear-sites-in-iran-trump-says-iran-must-now-agree-to-end-this-war-1750557342337/embed NetBlocks, an internet watchdog group, confirmed the platform was experiencing widespread international disruptions, adding that this was 'not' due to censorship or state-level filtering. In a post on BlueSky just before 9 pm ET, it said: “Truth Social is experiencing international outages for many users after US President Donald Trump announces strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran; incident not related to country-level internet disruptions or filtering.” It's unclear whether the surge in traffic crashed the platform, or whether a technical fault coincided with the announcement. An official statement from Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the company behind Truth Social is awaited.

At around 8 pm ET, users across the US and abroad began seeing error messages when attempting to access the platform. "Network failed," the app read. "Please try again."

Trump breaks Truth Social! Social media platform crashes as Trump announces US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites

US President Donald Trump on Saturday (Jun 21) warned Iran not to 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 a late-night address to the nation from the White House – a warning he also made in his address to the nation.

<h2>A 'spectacular success'</h2>"A short time ago the US military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime: Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan," he detailed, adding that everyone heard those names for years as Iran built what Trump referred to as a "horribly destructive enterprise."Calling the strikes a 'spectacular military success, ' Trump said that “Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.”Labelling Tehran the world's number one state sponsor of terror, Trump said that the US's objective with these strikes was the "destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat" posed by the nation.Watch | Trump condemns Iran as regional bully after attack on Iran's nuclear siteshttps://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-condemns-iran-as-regional-bully-after-attack-on-iran-s-nuclear-sites-us-strikes-iran-1750562738249/embedTrump, who is fond of coming up with nicknames, then called Iran "the bully of the Middle East" and said that the nation "must now make peace." He added that if Tehran does not fall into line, "future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier.""For 40 years, Iran has been saying, 'Death to America, Death to Israel...They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs, with roadside bombs."The US president then said that "That was their speciality, we lost over 1,000 people," however, he did not specify when and where the deaths happened.Trump also mentioned Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, a shadowy figure who was slain in a 2020 US drone strike. "And hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East and around the world have died as a direct result of their hate, in particular, so many were killed by their general Qasem Soleimani".While just a day earlier, on Friday (Jun 21) Trump had given Iran a "maximum" two-week warning, in his address to the nation the POTUS said that he had "decided a long time ago that I would not let this happen. It will not continue."He also congratulated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 'Bibi' Netanyahu and said, "We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we've gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel."He then proceeded to thank the Israeli military before praising the "great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight and all of the United States military on an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades."He ended his brief speech with an ominous warning for Iran, saying, "this cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days.""Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal…"But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes," he said.

"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 a late-night address to the nation from the White House.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday (Jun 21) warned Iran not to 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 a late-night address to the nation from the White House – a warning he also made in his address to the nation.

"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 a late-night address to the nation from the White House.

Trump warns Iran after US bombs nuclear sites: Retaliation will be met with 'greater force'

US President Donald Trump on Saturday (Jun 21) said that US air strikes had "completely and totally obliterated" Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities, as he threatened more attacks if Tehran does not make peace. In his first late-night address to the nation following the United States' strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Trump said, “There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days." He cautioned Iran and asked the nation to “Remember there are many targets left,” and said that "If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill.”<h2>Trump calls US strikes on Iran a ‘spectacular success’</h2>Calling the strikes a 'spectacular military success, ' Trump said that “Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.”Labelling Tehran the world's number one state sponsor of terror, Trump said that the US's objective with these strikes was the "destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat" posed by the nation.Watch | Trump condemns Iran as regional bully after attack on Iran's nuclear siteshttps://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-condemns-iran-as-regional-bully-after-attack-on-iran-s-nuclear-sites-us-strikes-iran-1750562738249/embedTrump, who is fond of coming up with nicknames, then called Iran "the bully of the Middle East" and said that the nation "must now make peace." He added that if Tehran does not fall into line, “future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier.”Trump also mentioned Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, a shadowy figure who was slain in a 2020 US drone strike. "And hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East and around the world have died as a direct result of their hate, in particular, so many were killed by their general Qasem Soleimani".While just a day earlier, on Friday (Jun 21) Trump had given Iran a "maximum" two-week warning, in his address to the nation the POTUS said that he had "decided a long time ago that I would not let this happen. It will not continue."He also congratulated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 'Bibi' Netanyahu and said, “We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we've gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel.”He ended his brief speech with an ominous warning for Iran, saying, "this cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days.""Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal…But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes," he said.&nbsp;

"There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember there are many targets left," Trump said in a late-night address to the nation.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday (Jun 21) said that US air strikes had "completely and totally obliterated" Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities, as he threatened more attacks if Tehran does not make peace. In his first late-night address to the nation following the United States' strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Trump said, “There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days." He cautioned Iran and asked the nation to “Remember there are many targets left,” and said that "If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill.” Trump calls US strikes on Iran a ‘spectacular success’ Calling the strikes a 'spectacular military success, ' Trump said that “Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.” Labelling Tehran the world's number one state sponsor of terror, Trump said that the US's objective with these strikes was the "destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat" posed by the nation. Watch | Trump condemns Iran as regional bully after attack on Iran's nuclear sites https://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-condemns-iran-as-regional-bully-after-attack-on-iran-s-nuclear-sites-us-strikes-iran-1750562738249/embed Trump, who is fond of coming up with nicknames, then called Iran "the bully of the Middle East" and said that the nation "must now make peace." He added that if Tehran does not fall into line, “future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier.” Trump also mentioned Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, a shadowy figure who was slain in a 2020 US drone strike. "And hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East and around the world have died as a direct result of their hate, in particular, so many were killed by their general Qasem Soleimani". While just a day earlier, on Friday (Jun 21) Trump had given Iran a "maximum" two-week warning, in his address to the nation the POTUS said that he had "decided a long time ago that I would not let this happen. It will not continue." He also congratulated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 'Bibi' Netanyahu and said, “We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we've gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel.” He ended his brief speech with an ominous warning for Iran, saying, "this cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days." "Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal…But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes," he said.

"There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember there are many targets left," Trump said in a late-night address to the nation.

Trump says there will either be peace or great 'tragedy for Iran,' warns 'many targets left'

US President Donald Trump, in his first address to the nation after the United States' strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, called Tehran the 'bully of the Middle East.' Trump said that Iran's nuclear sites were “completely and totally obliterated”.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Iran&#39;s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated, says US President Donald Trump . . . . Video: White House <a href="https://t.co/7g1P64063L">pic.twitter.com/7g1P64063L</a>&mdash; WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/1936607597320409154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>A 'spectacular success'</h2>"A short time ago the US military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime: Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan," he detailed, adding that everyone heard those names for years as Iran built what Trump referred to as a "horribly destructive enterprise."Calling the strikes a 'spectacular military success', Trump said that “Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.”Labelling Tehran the world's number one state sponsor of terror, Trump said that the US's objective with these strikes was the "destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat" posed by the nation.Watch | Trump condemns Iran as regional bully after attack on Iran's nuclear siteshttps://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-condemns-iran-as-regional-bully-after-attack-on-iran-s-nuclear-sites-us-strikes-iran-1750562738249/embedTrump, who is fond of coming up with nicknames, then called Iran "the bully of the Middle East" and said that the nation "must now make peace." He added that if Tehran does not fall into line, “future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier.”While just a day earlier, on Friday (Jun 21) Trump had given Iran a "maximum" two weeks warning, in his address to the nation the POTUS said that he had “decided a long time ago that I would not let this happen. It will not continue.”He ended his brief speech with an ominous warning for Iran, saying, "this cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days.""Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal...But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes," he said.

US President Donald Trump is addressing citizens after US successfully carried out strikes on Iran nuclear sites

US President Donald Trump, in his first address to the nation after the United States' strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, called Tehran the 'bully of the Middle East.' Trump said that Iran's nuclear sites were “completely and totally obliterated”.

US President Donald Trump is addressing citizens after US successfully carried out strikes on Iran nuclear sites

Trump calls Iran 'bully of Middle East,' says nuclear sites 'completely obliterated' in address to nation after US strikes

The Embassy of Iran in India on Wednesday shared a statement made by the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) where he said that they (IAEA) did not have any proof that Iran is going to make nuclear weapons.&nbsp;In a post on X, the Embassy said, "Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, admits that Iran was not going to make a nuclear weapon. “What we reported was that we did not have any proof of a systematic effort (by Iran) to move toward a nuclear weapon. ”&nbsp;The post featured an interview with Grossi to CNN, which was posted by Iranian Press TV.&nbsp;In the interview, Director General Grossi answering the question on nuclear weapons in Iran said, "What we informed and what we reported was that we did not have, as in coincidence with some of the sources you mentioned there, that we did not have any proof of a systematic effort to move into a nuclear weapon."&nbsp;According to a previous report by the Times of Israel citing Hebrew media, it was reported on Sunday that Israel discovered that Iranian scientists had conducted successful experiments in the design process of a nuclear weapon, bringing it weeks away from being able to produce a bomb.&nbsp;Times of Israel reported that this "golden information" was presented by intelligence officials to the political leadership before the decision was made to carry out preemptive strikes on Friday, along with the concern that Israel didn't know everything and that Tehran could be at an even more advanced stage in building a nuclear bomb than the available information showed, Army Radio reported, citing unnamed security officials.&nbsp;The US State Department on Tuesday (local time) reaffirmed the Trump administration's stance on Iran's nuclear program, emphasising that "Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel.&nbsp;Addressing a press briefing, US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that President Donald Trump's commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities has been consistent since taking office.&nbsp;"Now with the conflict between Iran and Israel, President Trump is also clear that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon...The fact that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon is clear. As the white house reminds us, since taking office, President Trump has clearly stated that Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon...," said Bruce.&nbsp;The developments follow after Israel and Iran are trading strikes for a sixth day, with civilians in flashpoint areas facing waves of attacks. Israel's defence minister said the country plans on striking "very significant targets in Tehran."&nbsp;Early Wednesday local time, explosions from incoming Iranian missiles were reported over Tel Aviv. &nbsp;

In the interview, Director General Grossi answering the question on nuclear weapons in Iran, said, "We did not have any proof of a systematic effort to move into a nuclear weapon."

The Embassy of Iran in India on Wednesday shared a statement made by the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) where he said that they (IAEA) did not have any proof that Iran is going to make nuclear weapons. In a post on X, the Embassy said, "Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, admits that Iran was not going to make a nuclear weapon. “What we reported was that we did not have any proof of a systematic effort (by Iran) to move toward a nuclear weapon. ” The post featured an interview with Grossi to CNN, which was posted by Iranian Press TV. In the interview, Director General Grossi answering the question on nuclear weapons in Iran said, "What we informed and what we reported was that we did not have, as in coincidence with some of the sources you mentioned there, that we did not have any proof of a systematic effort to move into a nuclear weapon." According to a previous report by the Times of Israel citing Hebrew media, it was reported on Sunday that Israel discovered that Iranian scientists had conducted successful experiments in the design process of a nuclear weapon, bringing it weeks away from being able to produce a bomb. Times of Israel reported that this "golden information" was presented by intelligence officials to the political leadership before the decision was made to carry out preemptive strikes on Friday, along with the concern that Israel didn't know everything and that Tehran could be at an even more advanced stage in building a nuclear bomb than the available information showed, Army Radio reported, citing unnamed security officials. The US State Department on Tuesday (local time) reaffirmed the Trump administration's stance on Iran's nuclear program, emphasising that "Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel. Addressing a press briefing, US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that President Donald Trump's commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities has been consistent since taking office. "Now with the conflict between Iran and Israel, President Trump is also clear that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon...The fact that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon is clear. As the white house reminds us, since taking office, President Trump has clearly stated that Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon...," said Bruce. The developments follow after Israel and Iran are trading strikes for a sixth day, with civilians in flashpoint areas facing waves of attacks. Israel's defence minister said the country plans on striking "very significant targets in Tehran." Early Wednesday local time, explosions from incoming Iranian missiles were reported over Tel Aviv.

In the interview, Director General Grossi answering the question on nuclear weapons in Iran, said, "We did not have any proof of a systematic effort to move into a nuclear weapon."

'Did not have any proof of effort to move into a nuclear weapon': IAEA Chief on Iran

Israel has eliminated another senior official of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force said the nation's military on Saturday (Jun 21). As per the Israeli military, Behnam Shahriyari, commander of the Quds Force's Weapons Transfer Unit in the IRGC, was killed in a precise IDF strike in western Iran. The announcement of Shahriyari's elimination follows that of another top IRGC commander, Saeed Izadi, head of the Palestine Corps of Iran's elite Quds Force. As per the Israeli Defence Forces, Shahriyari was neutralised "more than 1,000 km from Israel while travelling in western Iran".<h2>A 'severe blow' to terrorist organisations surrounding Israel</h2>Lauding Shahriyari's killing as a "severe blow to the ability of the terrorist organisations surrounding Israel," the IDF said that the "heavy damage" wrought by Israeli forces would cripple their ability to "regroup and strengthen".<h2>Who was Behnam Shahriyari?</h2>As per the IDF, Shahriyari was the commander of Unit 190. The Quds Force's weapon unit, believed to be responsible for covert arms transfers from Iran to proxy groups across the region, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and the Houthis in Yemen. Transfer Unit in the IRGC. He was reportedly "responsible for all weapons transfers from the Iranian regime to its proxies across the Middle East" and played a key role in directly advancing the "Iranian regime's plan to destroy Israel"."Shahriyari worked directly with the Hezbollah and Hamas terror organisations, as well as with the Houthi regime and other groups, thereby supplying numerous missiles and rockets that were fired at Israeli territory during the war," said the IDF in a statement. It also posted a video of the precision strike that took out Behnam Shahriyari. &nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">🔴ELIMINATED: Behnam Shahriyari, commander of the Quds Force’s Weapons Transfer Unit in the IRGC, was eliminated in a precise IDF strike in western Iran. Shahriyari was responsible for all weapons transfers from the Iranian regime to its proxies across the Middle East in order… <a href="https://t.co/O9nEjuauuW">pic.twitter.com/O9nEjuauuW</a>&mdash; Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1936323398595994024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

In addition to weapons, the IDF said that the IRGC commander "oversaw the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars annually to terror organisations through his unique connections in Turkey and Lebanon, using a network of front companies, currency exchanges, and money couriers."On X, the Israeli military said that his killing was a "severe blow to the ability of the terror organisations surrounding the State of Israel to rearm after having suffered heavy losses at the hands of the IDF during the war." Shahriyari had reportedly been on Israel’s radar since at least 2009.

Lauding Shahriyari's killing as a "severe blow to the ability of the terrorist organisations surrounding Israel," the IDF said that the "heavy damage" wrought by Israeli forces would cripple their ability "regroup and strengthen".

Israel has eliminated another senior official of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force said the nation's military on Saturday (Jun 21). As per the Israeli military, Behnam Shahriyari, commander of the Quds Force's Weapons Transfer Unit in the IRGC, was killed in a precise IDF strike in western Iran. The announcement of Shahriyari's elimination follows that of another top IRGC commander, Saeed Izadi, head of the Palestine Corps of Iran's elite Quds Force. As per the Israeli Defence Forces, Shahriyari was neutralised "more than 1,000 km from Israel while travelling in western Iran". A 'severe blow' to terrorist organisations surrounding Israel Lauding Shahriyari's killing as a "severe blow to the ability of the terrorist organisations surrounding Israel," the IDF said that the "heavy damage" wrought by Israeli forces would cripple their ability to "regroup and strengthen". Who was Behnam Shahriyari? As per the IDF, Shahriyari was the commander of Unit 190. The Quds Force's weapon unit, believed to be responsible for covert arms transfers from Iran to proxy groups across the region, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and the Houthis in Yemen. Transfer Unit in the IRGC. He was reportedly "responsible for all weapons transfers from the Iranian regime to its proxies across the Middle East" and played a key role in directly advancing the "Iranian regime's plan to destroy Israel". "Shahriyari worked directly with the Hezbollah and Hamas terror organisations, as well as with the Houthi regime and other groups, thereby supplying numerous missiles and rockets that were fired at Israeli territory during the war," said the IDF in a statement. It also posted a video of the precision strike that took out Behnam Shahriyari.

Lauding Shahriyari's killing as a "severe blow to the ability of the terrorist organisations surrounding Israel," the IDF said that the "heavy damage" wrought by Israeli forces would cripple their ability "regroup and strengthen".

Who was Behnam Shahriyari? Israel eliminates top IRGC weapon smuggler in precision strike deep inside Iran

Israel on Saturday (Jun 21) claimed that it had killed Saeed Izadi, head of the Palestine Corps of Iran's elite Quds Force, in a precision missile strike on an apartment in the city of Qom. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, in a statement, declared that Izadi has been eliminated. The killing marks the latest elimination of Iranian high-level commanders by Israel. Calling it a "major achievement" and retribution for the October 7 attack, Katz said that Izadi "funded and armed Hamas ahead of the October 7 massacre".<h2>Who was Mohammad Saeed Izadi?</h2>Izadi was the commander of the Palestine Corps within the IRGC’s elite Quds Force. He is believed to be the lead in overseeing Iran s operational and logistical support to Palestinian militant groups, primarily Hamas and PIJ.As per the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Centre, Izadi led efforts to smuggle weapons, provide funding, and train terror groups in Gaza and the West Bank.He is also believed to be responsible for strengthening coordination between Palestinian factions and Hezbollah, as well as the former Assad regime in Syria.Mohammad Saeed Izadi, as per reports, was a key figure in Iran's support for Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). He reportedly helped arm and finance the groups ahead of Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel."He funded and armed Hamas ahead of the October 7 massacre," said Katz.The Israeli defence minister said that Izadi's elimination was "a major achievement for Israeli intelligence and the Air Force," and added that it was "justice for the murdered and the hostages.""Israel's long arm will reach all its enemies," he vowed.Israeli intelligence agencies have long accused Izadi of coordinating multi-front assaults on Israel involving Hamas, Hezbollah, and Syrian proxies. This comes as Israel reportedlylaunched a series of strikes on Iran’s nuclear site in Isfahan early Saturday. Citing a security official, Iranian state-linked Fars news agency reported that multiple attacks were carried out, with most of the blasts linked to Iranian air defence systems intercepting incoming threats. As per the report, there was no leakage of hazardous materials and no risk to public safety.&nbsp;

Calling it a "major achievement" and retribution for the October 7 attack, Katz said that Izadi "funded and armed Hamas ahead of the October 7 massacre".

Israel on Saturday (Jun 21) claimed that it had killed Saeed Izadi, head of the Palestine Corps of Iran's elite Quds Force, in a precision missile strike on an apartment in the city of Qom. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, in a statement, declared that Izadi has been eliminated. The killing marks the latest elimination of Iranian high-level commanders by Israel. Calling it a "major achievement" and retribution for the October 7 attack, Katz said that Izadi "funded and armed Hamas ahead of the October 7 massacre". Who was Mohammad Saeed Izadi? Izadi was the commander of the Palestine Corps within the IRGC’s elite Quds Force. He is believed to be the lead in overseeing Iran s operational and logistical support to Palestinian militant groups, primarily Hamas and PIJ. As per the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Centre, Izadi led efforts to smuggle weapons, provide funding, and train terror groups in Gaza and the West Bank. He is also believed to be responsible for strengthening coordination between Palestinian factions and Hezbollah, as well as the former Assad regime in Syria. Mohammad Saeed Izadi, as per reports, was a key figure in Iran's support for Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). He reportedly helped arm and finance the groups ahead of Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. "He funded and armed Hamas ahead of the October 7 massacre," said Katz. The Israeli defence minister said that Izadi's elimination was "a major achievement for Israeli intelligence and the Air Force," and added that it was "justice for the murdered and the hostages." "Israel's long arm will reach all its enemies," he vowed. Israeli intelligence agencies have long accused Izadi of coordinating multi-front assaults on Israel involving Hamas, Hezbollah, and Syrian proxies. This comes as Israel reportedlylaunched a series of strikes on Iran’s nuclear site in Isfahan early Saturday. Citing a security official, Iranian state-linked Fars news agency reported that multiple attacks were carried out, with most of the blasts linked to Iranian air defence systems intercepting incoming threats. As per the report, there was no leakage of hazardous materials and no risk to public safety.

Calling it a "major achievement" and retribution for the October 7 attack, Katz said that Izadi "funded and armed Hamas ahead of the October 7 massacre".

Who was Mohammed Izadi? Israel claims top IRGC commander who armed Hamas for Oct 7 attack, eliminated in Qom airstrike

India on Saturday (Jun 21) rescued 117 Indian nationals from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, as the third special evacuation flight landed in Delhi under Operation Sindhu. Lauding the successful evacuation, Indian Minister of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal on X said, "A special evacuation flight from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan landed in New Delhi at 0300 hrs on 21st June, bringing Indians from Iran home." He added that with this, "so far 517 Indian nationals from Iran have returned home under Operation Sindhu". Just hours earlier, late on Friday (Jun 20), another flight, this one from Mashhad, Iran, brought home 290 Indian students. The Indian government has launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran because of the worsening situation amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OperationSindhu?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OperationSindhu</a> continues. A special evacuation flight from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan landed in New Delhi at 0300 hrs on 21st June, bringing Indians from Iran home. With this, so far 517 Indian nationals from Iran have returned home under Operation Sindhu. <a href="https://t.co/xYfpoxwJtw">pic.twitter.com/xYfpoxwJtw</a>— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1936223348297810279?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>Rescued students thank GOI</h2>In a post on X, the Jammu and Kashmir student association thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the External Affairs Ministry, and all concerned authorities for evacuating the students.The association wrote, “Mahan Air evacuation flight from Mashhad, Iran, carrying 290 students, the majority of whom are from Kashmir, has landed safely in New Delhi just now. Heartfelt thanks, PM, EAM and all concerned authorities for their timely intervention and support.”MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X, “Operation Sindhu flight brings citizens home. India evacuated 290 Indian nationals from Iran, including students and religious pilgrims by a charter flight. The flight arrived in New Delhi at 2330 hrs on 20 June and was received by Secretary (CPV&amp; OIA) Arun Chatterjee.”“Government of India is grateful to the Government of Iran for the facilitation of the evacuation process.”Earlier, Iran said it had opened its airspace for evacuation flights to India in a special gesture. The first flight carrying 110 students from Iran landed at Delhi International Airport early Thursday (Jun 19) under ‘Operation Sindhu’. The first batch of students, all from Urmia Medical University, were brought from Iran to Armenia by road and brought to Delhi via flight. The flight was delayed by three hours, NDTV reported.According to reports, there are over 13,000 Indian students in Iran. Most of them are pursuing medical degrees. To evacuate Indian nationals from Iran amid its conflict with Israel, the Ministry of External Affairs announced ‘Operation Sindhu’.

Lauding the successful evacuation, Indian Minister of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal on X said, "A special evacuation flight from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan landed in New Delhi at 0300 hrs on 21st June, bringing Indians from Iran home."

India on Saturday (Jun 21) rescued 117 Indian nationals from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, as the third special evacuation flight landed in Delhi under Operation Sindhu. Lauding the successful evacuation, Indian Minister of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal on X said, "A special evacuation flight from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan landed in New Delhi at 0300 hrs on 21st June, bringing Indians from Iran home." He added that with this, "so far 517 Indian nationals from Iran have returned home under Operation Sindhu". Just hours earlier, late on Friday (Jun 20), another flight, this one from Mashhad, Iran, brought home 290 Indian students. The Indian government has launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran because of the worsening situation amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.

Lauding the successful evacuation, Indian Minister of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal on X said, "A special evacuation flight from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan landed in New Delhi at 0300 hrs on 21st June, bringing Indians from Iran home."

Operation Sindhu: India evacuates 517 nationals from Iran as war rages in the Middle East

Nearly three years after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish girl in police custody, the Iranian regime remains wary of the nationwide protests and global outcry over the human rights situation in Iran. The death, however, had triggered massive unrest in the Islamic Republic of Iran in September 2022. The protest, which was met with a brutal crackdown by the Iranian regime had resulted in the death of 551 individuals, including 68 minors and resulted in the arrest of 19,262 individuals across 134 cities and 132 universities. As Iran and Israel, two rivals, are engaged in confrontation, Israel is trying to possibly trigger unrest, leveraging the protests of 2022.On June 18, it allegedly interrupted a broadcast by IRIB and screened visuals of the protest.<h2>Mahsa Amini protests</h2>Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish girl, was arrested for violating the strict Hijab law by wearing the Hijab improperly. The protest that erupted was described as ‘unlike any the country had seen before’, which had shaken the very core of the Islamic Patriarch of the ruling class. Mahsa Amini was said to have been taken into custody and reportedly beaten by the Guidance Patrol, an accusation which was denied by the authorities. She collapsed and was hospitalised, and died three days later.&nbsp;#MahsaAmini became a global symbol for expressing dissent; it was not just about one singular event, it was a struggle for human dignity, freedom, and bodily autonomy for women in Iran. The death was viewed as a symbol of Government repression. These were the largest protests since the Islamic revolution of 1979. The protest, which started in September 2022, continued till 2023. It started from Amini's hometown and spread to the whole country. The protestors, especially women and teenagers, including school children, demanded autonomy for women and called for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic. There were protests against the compulsory Hijab in Islam in 2017, but this was way more violent and detrimental to the regime. Protestors threw away their Hijab in solidarity with Amini and flaunted their hair. The crackdown was violent, with indiscriminate arrests, internet blockade, tear gas and gunfire.&nbsp;<h2>Israeli-Iranian shadow war</h2>The protests dwindled in the spring of 2023, but a deep paranoia settled over the Iranian hardliner regime of Ebrahim Raisi. It viewed unrests not as spontaneous dissent, but as orchestrated by hostile powers, especially Israel, which Iran blames for cyberattacks, assassinations, and intelligence operations on Iranian soil.While analysts and recent developments have shown that the fear is not completely unfounded, Israel has a history of covert operations inside Iran. Israel has always considered regime change as a viable strategy and sees internal dissent as a strategic opportunity to destabilise the Islamic Republic. The recent attack on interrupting the broadcast is seen as an attempt at waging a psychological war. The visuals displayed were of women tearing off their hijab and cutting their hair in defiance, followed by a voice-over urging the public to rise and take to the streets against the regime. A logo linked to the IDF's ‘Operation Rising Lion’ also appeared on the screen.Iran claims these attacks are part of Israel's broader attempt to destabilise Iran.&nbsp;“It’s easier to delegitimise protests when you blame them on Israel or the CIA,” said a former Iranian journalist now in exile. “It paints dissenters as traitors instead of citizens demanding basic rights.”However, the memory of the Mahsa Amini protest lives among the ruling class as a reminder of the corrosion of divine rule. Amini and the Women, Life and Freedom movement that emerged from the protest were awarded the EU’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. The 2023 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Narges Mohammadi, a vocal critic of the hijab and chastity program of Iran. For many Iranian teenagers and children, Amini's name remains a rallying cry from Tehran to global feminist movements. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Read how nearly three years after the death of Mahsa Amini, visuals from the protest are being used as a rallying cry for civil unrest in Iran.

Nearly three years after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish girl in police custody, the Iranian regime remains wary of the nationwide protests and global outcry over the human rights situation in Iran. The death, however, had triggered massive unrest in the Islamic Republic of Iran in September 2022. The protest, which was met with a brutal crackdown by the Iranian regime had resulted in the death of 551 individuals, including 68 minors and resulted in the arrest of 19,262 individuals across 134 cities and 132 universities. As Iran and Israel, two rivals, are engaged in confrontation, Israel is trying to possibly trigger unrest, leveraging the protests of 2022. On June 18, it allegedly interrupted a broadcast by IRIB and screened visuals of the protest. Mahsa Amini protests Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish girl, was arrested for violating the strict Hijab law by wearing the Hijab improperly. The protest that erupted was described as ‘unlike any the country had seen before’, which had shaken the very core of the Islamic Patriarch of the ruling class. Mahsa Amini was said to have been taken into custody and reportedly beaten by the Guidance Patrol, an accusation which was denied by the authorities. She collapsed and was hospitalised, and died three days later. #MahsaAmini became a global symbol for expressing dissent; it was not just about one singular event, it was a struggle for human dignity, freedom, and bodily autonomy for women in Iran. The death was viewed as a symbol of Government repression. These were the largest protests since the Islamic revolution of 1979. The protest, which started in September 2022, continued till 2023. It started from Amini's hometown and spread to the whole country. The protestors, especially women and teenagers, including school children, demanded autonomy for women and called for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic. There were protests against the compulsory Hijab in Islam in 2017, but this was way more violent and detrimental to the regime. Protestors threw away their Hijab in solidarity with Amini and flaunted their hair. The crackdown was violent, with indiscriminate arrests, internet blockade, tear gas and gunfire. Israeli-Iranian shadow war The protests dwindled in the spring of 2023, but a deep paranoia settled over the Iranian hardliner regime of Ebrahim Raisi. It viewed unrests not as spontaneous dissent, but as orchestrated by hostile powers, especially Israel, which Iran blames for cyberattacks, assassinations, and intelligence operations on Iranian soil. While analysts and recent developments have shown that the fear is not completely unfounded, Israel has a history of covert operations inside Iran. Israel has always considered regime change as a viable strategy and sees internal dissent as a strategic opportunity to destabilise the Islamic Republic. The recent attack on interrupting the broadcast is seen as an attempt at waging a psychological war. The visuals displayed were of women tearing off their hijab and cutting their hair in defiance, followed by a voice-over urging the public to rise and take to the streets against the regime. A logo linked to the IDF's ‘Operation Rising Lion’ also appeared on the screen. Iran claims these attacks are part of Israel's broader attempt to destabilise Iran. “It’s easier to delegitimise protests when you blame them on Israel or the CIA,” said a former Iranian journalist now in exile. “It paints dissenters as traitors instead of citizens demanding basic rights.” However, the memory of the Mahsa Amini protest lives among the ruling class as a reminder of the corrosion of divine rule. Amini and the Women, Life and Freedom movement that emerged from the protest were awarded the EU’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. The 2023 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Narges Mohammadi, a vocal critic of the hijab and chastity program of Iran. For many Iranian teenagers and children, Amini's name remains a rallying cry from Tehran to global feminist movements.

Read how nearly three years after the death of Mahsa Amini, visuals from the protest are being used as a rallying cry for civil unrest in Iran.

Who is Mahsa Amini? How Israel is using Mahsa Amini protest to destabilise Iran

Nuclear weapons have only been used in combat twice. However, the world has come frighteningly close to accidental or mistaken nuclear launches multiple times. Here are 5 key moments in history when the world narrowly avoided nuclear catastrophe

Nuclear weapons have only been used in combat twice. However, the world has come frighteningly close to accidental or mistaken nuclear launches multiple times. Here are 5 key moments in history when the world narrowly avoided nuclear catastrophe

Iran-Israel War: 5 terrifying moments when nuclear war was just minutes away

Dozens of American military aircraft have disappeared from the tarmac of the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, satellite images show — a quiet but pointed move, which as per reports may be to shield US warplanes from eventual Iranian strikes. This comes as the United States prepares for the possibility of war and weighs in on whether to intervene in Tehran's conflict with Israel. While earlier nearly 40 military aircraft, including transport planes like the Hercules C-130 and reconnaissance aircraft, were parked on the US base tarmac in Qatar, now only a few remain. Why is that? Here's all we know.<h2>Missing warplanes: A strategic withdrawal? Or quiet preparation for something much bigger?</h2>As per an AFP report, just two weeks back, there were nearly 40 US military aircraft at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Satellite images from 5 June 2021 show over two dozen warplanes; however, the latest images, taken on June 19, show only three aircraft.This comes, as the US embassy in Qatar on Thursday announced that access to the air base would be limited "out of an abundance of caution and in light of ongoing regional hostilities" as it urged personnel to "exercise increased vigilance."The quiet vanishing act comes as President Donald Trump weighs whether to bring the US into the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. The White House has said that Trump would take some time to decide whether to join ally Israel against Iran.As per Mark Schwartz, a former US Army lieutenant general and defence analyst at Rand Corporation, given the "close proximity" to Iran, the personnel, aircraft, and installations at Al Udeid would be "extremely vulnerable".Schwartz warned that even indirect hits — say, from missile shrapnel — could render expensive aircraft "non-mission capable.""You want to reduce risk to US forces, both personnel and equipment," he told AFP.<h2>Where did the planes go?</h2>While the US is yet to make an official statement, it is believed that the warplanes may have been moved to hangars or potentially to other bases in the region.Talking to AFP, a US defence official, declining to reveal specific details, simply said the military remains "committed to maintaining operational security while executing our mission with the highest level of readiness, lethality, and professionalism."Open-source flight tracking shows at least 27 refuelling planes — KC-46A Pegasus and KC-135 Stratotankers — flew from the US to Europe between June 15 and 18. Most haven’t come back. 25 of these, as per the report, are still in Europe and only two have returned to the US.

While earlier nearly 40 military aircraft, including transport planes like the Hercules C-130 and reconnaissance aircraft, were parked on the US base tarmac in Qatar, now only a few remain. Why is that? Here's all we know.

Dozens of American military aircraft have disappeared from the tarmac of the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, satellite images show — a quiet but pointed move, which as per reports may be to shield US warplanes from eventual Iranian strikes. This comes as the United States prepares for the possibility of war and weighs in on whether to intervene in Tehran's conflict with Israel. While earlier nearly 40 military aircraft, including transport planes like the Hercules C-130 and reconnaissance aircraft, were parked on the US base tarmac in Qatar, now only a few remain. Why is that? Here's all we know. Missing warplanes: A strategic withdrawal? Or quiet preparation for something much bigger? As per an AFP report, just two weeks back, there were nearly 40 US military aircraft at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Satellite images from 5 June 2021 show over two dozen warplanes; however, the latest images, taken on June 19, show only three aircraft. This comes, as the US embassy in Qatar on Thursday announced that access to the air base would be limited "out of an abundance of caution and in light of ongoing regional hostilities" as it urged personnel to "exercise increased vigilance." The quiet vanishing act comes as President Donald Trump weighs whether to bring the US into the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. The White House has said that Trump would take some time to decide whether to join ally Israel against Iran. As per Mark Schwartz, a former US Army lieutenant general and defence analyst at Rand Corporation, given the "close proximity" to Iran, the personnel, aircraft, and installations at Al Udeid would be "extremely vulnerable". Schwartz warned that even indirect hits — say, from missile shrapnel — could render expensive aircraft "non-mission capable." "You want to reduce risk to US forces, both personnel and equipment," he told AFP. Where did the planes go? While the US is yet to make an official statement, it is believed that the warplanes may have been moved to hangars or potentially to other bases in the region. Talking to AFP, a US defence official, declining to reveal specific details, simply said the military remains "committed to maintaining operational security while executing our mission with the highest level of readiness, lethality, and professionalism." Open-source flight tracking shows at least 27 refuelling planes — KC-46A Pegasus and KC-135 Stratotankers — flew from the US to Europe between June 15 and 18. Most haven’t come back. 25 of these, as per the report, are still in Europe and only two have returned to the US.

While earlier nearly 40 military aircraft, including transport planes like the Hercules C-130 and reconnaissance aircraft, were parked on the US base tarmac in Qatar, now only a few remain. Why is that? Here's all we know.

US hiding military aircraft? American warplanes vanish from Qatar base amid Israel-Iran tensions

Iran on Thursday (Jun 19) named Brigadier General Majid Khadami as the new head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' intelligence division. Khadami replaces Mohammed Kazemi, who was killed on Sunday (Jun 15) alongside two other Revolutionary Guards officers — Hassan Mohaghegh and Mohsen Bagheri. The killing was first reported by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and was later confirmed by Iran, which at the time called the killed commanders "martyrs". Khadami's predecessor, Kazemi and his deputy Mohaghegh were trapped under rubble after Israel struck an IRGC Intelligence Organisation building in the Iranian capital, Tehran, last week.<h2>Who is Majid Khadami?</h2>The newly installed intelligence chief of the IRGC, Khadami, has previously worked as the head of the Intelligence Protection Organisation at the Iranian Defence Ministry (July 2022- now), reports Iran International.As per reports, before that, from 2018 to 2022, he served as the head of the Information Protection Organisation of the Iranian Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Support, replacing Asghar Mirjafari. Not much is available about Khademi. A shadowy figure, he reportedly holds a PhD in National Security and a PhD in Strategic Defense Sciences.<h2>What happened to Kazemi?</h2>As Israel and Iran exchanged attacks for the third day (Sunday, Jun 15), Mohammad Kazemi, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps's Intelligence Protection Organisation, along with his deputy Hassan Mohaghegh and a third commander Mohsen Bagheri were killed in an Israeli strike.Reports suggest that Kazemi and Mohaghegh were trapped under rubble after Israel struck an IRGC Intelligence Organisation building in the Iranian capital, Tehran.Kazemi, known by the nickname Hajj Kazem was considered one of the most prominent security figures in Iran.As per The New Arab, he led the IRGC’s Intelligence Protection Organisation since at least 2013. The intelligence wing he led is known to report directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, giving Kazemi immense clout inside Iran's military hierarchy.As per the US Treasury Department, he was "responsible for managing and coordinating the suppression of protests, monitoring and restricting internet access, and arresting dissidents", specifically in the wake of the 2022 Iranian anti-government protests. In 2024, he was sanctioned by the United Kingdom for allegedly orchestrating attacks on Israeli nationals.He was one of the latest high-ranking Iranian commanders to be eliminated by Israel. Recent weeks have seen the killing of several top Iranian figures, including IRGC commander-in-chief Hossein Salami, army chief of staff Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, and Khatam al-Anbia base commander Maj. Gen. Gholamali Rashid.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Brigadier General Majid Khadami, a shadowy figure, has been appointed the new head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' intelligence division. Here's all we know about Iran's new IRGC intelligence chief.

Iran on Thursday (Jun 19) named Brigadier General Majid Khadami as the new head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' intelligence division. Khadami replaces Mohammed Kazemi, who was killed on Sunday (Jun 15) alongside two other Revolutionary Guards officers — Hassan Mohaghegh and Mohsen Bagheri. The killing was first reported by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and was later confirmed by Iran, which at the time called the killed commanders "martyrs". Khadami's predecessor, Kazemi and his deputy Mohaghegh were trapped under rubble after Israel struck an IRGC Intelligence Organisation building in the Iranian capital, Tehran, last week. Who is Majid Khadami? The newly installed intelligence chief of the IRGC, Khadami, has previously worked as the head of the Intelligence Protection Organisation at the Iranian Defence Ministry (July 2022- now), reports Iran International. As per reports, before that, from 2018 to 2022, he served as the head of the Information Protection Organisation of the Iranian Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Support, replacing Asghar Mirjafari. Not much is available about Khademi. A shadowy figure, he reportedly holds a PhD in National Security and a PhD in Strategic Defense Sciences. What happened to Kazemi? As Israel and Iran exchanged attacks for the third day (Sunday, Jun 15), Mohammad Kazemi, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps's Intelligence Protection Organisation, along with his deputy Hassan Mohaghegh and a third commander Mohsen Bagheri were killed in an Israeli strike. Reports suggest that Kazemi and Mohaghegh were trapped under rubble after Israel struck an IRGC Intelligence Organisation building in the Iranian capital, Tehran. Kazemi, known by the nickname Hajj Kazem was considered one of the most prominent security figures in Iran. As per The New Arab, he led the IRGC’s Intelligence Protection Organisation since at least 2013. The intelligence wing he led is known to report directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, giving Kazemi immense clout inside Iran's military hierarchy. As per the US Treasury Department, he was "responsible for managing and coordinating the suppression of protests, monitoring and restricting internet access, and arresting dissidents", specifically in the wake of the 2022 Iranian anti-government protests. In 2024, he was sanctioned by the United Kingdom for allegedly orchestrating attacks on Israeli nationals. He was one of the latest high-ranking Iranian commanders to be eliminated by Israel. Recent weeks have seen the killing of several top Iranian figures, including IRGC commander-in-chief Hossein Salami, army chief of staff Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, and Khatam al-Anbia base commander Maj. Gen. Gholamali Rashid.

Brigadier General Majid Khadami, a shadowy figure, has been appointed the new head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' intelligence division. Here's all we know about Iran's new IRGC intelligence chief.

Who is Majid Khademi? Iran’s new IRGC intelligence head replaces slain Kazemi

After Israeli airstrikes targeted its nuclear facilities and senior military officials, Iran launched a wave of ballistic missiles in retaliation. Hundreds of projectiles were fired towards Israeli territory, and while many were intercepted, several managed to hit key areas, including central Tel Aviv, causing casualties and serious damage.According to US officials, Iran now has the largest ballistic missile stockpile in the Middle East, with more than 3,000 missiles ready for deployment. Some of these weapons are capable of reaching Israel in just 12 to 15 minutes.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-iran-war-how-did-iran-breach-israel-s-iron-dome-tel-aviv-s-air-defence-shield-has-cracks-and-tehran-is-exploiting-them-1750239971013">Israel-Iran war: How did Iran breach Israel’s Iron Dome? Tel Aviv’s air defence shield has cracks and Tehran is exploiting them</a><h2>Iran’s missile capabilities: Why Israel should remain on alert?</h2>Over the past three decades, Iran has built one of the most advanced missile programmes in the region. Its arsenal includes various types of ballistic and cruise missiles, capable of travelling different ranges and speeds.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-iran-war-how-did-iran-get-american-f-14-tomcats-fighter-jet-and-why-is-it-still-flying-them-years-after-us-retired-them-1750260034881">Israel-Iran war: How did Iran get American F-14 'Tomcats' fighter jet, and why is it still flying them years after US&nbsp;retired&nbsp;them?</a><h2>How far can Iranian missiles reach?</h2>Ballistic missiles are grouped based on how far they can travel:• BRBM (Battlefield Range Ballistic Missile): Less than 200 km• SRBM (Short-Range Ballistic Missile): Up to 1,000 km• MRBM/IRBM (Medium to Intermediate Range): 1,000–3,500 km• LRBM (Long-Range): 3,500–5,500 km• ICBM (Intercontinental): More than 5,500 kmGiven that Israel lies 1,300–1,500 km from Iran, medium-range missiles can easily cover this distance.<h2>How fast do Iranian missiles travel?</h2>Missile speed is measured in Mach, where Mach 1 equals the speed of sound (about 1,225 km/h or 761 mph).• Supersonic missiles (typically shorter-range): Travel faster than Mach 1• Hypersonic missiles (often long-range): Exceed Mach 5 (6,125 km/h or 3,806 mph)At these speeds, some Iranian missiles can cross the distance to Israel in as little as 12 minutes, depending on the type and launch location.<h2>Why are ballistic missiles hard to intercept?</h2>Ballistic missiles pose a major challenge to air defence systems due to their:• High velocity: They fly too fast for many systems to respond in time• High trajectory: After launch, they exit the atmosphere and re-enter at extreme speeds• Countermeasures: Some carry decoys to confuse radar and missile defencesAll these factors make them especially dangerous and difficult to intercept effectively.<h2>Cruise missiles and drones: Slower, but harder to detect</h2>Iran has also launched cruise missiles and drones during this conflict.• Cruise missiles fly at lower altitudes, more like unmanned planes• They move slower than ballistic missiles—but are harder to detect and can change direction mid-flight• A cruise missile from Iran to Israel could take up to two hours• Drones are even slower—taking as long as nine hours to reach Israeli targets

According to US officials, Iran now has the largest ballistic missile stockpile in the Middle East, with more than 3,000 missiles ready for deployment. Some of these weapons are capable of reaching Israel in just 12 to 15 minutes.

After Israeli airstrikes targeted its nuclear facilities and senior military officials, Iran launched a wave of ballistic missiles in retaliation. Hundreds of projectiles were fired towards Israeli territory, and while many were intercepted, several managed to hit key areas, including central Tel Aviv, causing casualties and serious damage. According to US officials, Iran now has the largest ballistic missile stockpile in the Middle East, with more than 3,000 missiles ready for deployment. Some of these weapons are capable of reaching Israel in just 12 to 15 minutes. Also read: Israel-Iran war: How did Iran breach Israel’s Iron Dome? Tel Aviv’s air defence shield has cracks and Tehran is exploiting them Iran’s missile capabilities: Why Israel should remain on alert? Over the past three decades, Iran has built one of the most advanced missile programmes in the region. Its arsenal includes various types of ballistic and cruise missiles, capable of travelling different ranges and speeds. Also read: Israel-Iran war: How did Iran get American F-14 'Tomcats' fighter jet, and why is it still flying them years after US retired them? How far can Iranian missiles reach? Ballistic missiles are grouped based on how far they can travel: • BRBM (Battlefield Range Ballistic Missile): Less than 200 km • SRBM (Short-Range Ballistic Missile): Up to 1,000 km • MRBM/IRBM (Medium to Intermediate Range): 1,000–3,500 km • LRBM (Long-Range): 3,500–5,500 km • ICBM (Intercontinental): More than 5,500 km Given that Israel lies 1,300–1,500 km from Iran, medium-range missiles can easily cover this distance. How fast do Iranian missiles travel? Missile speed is measured in Mach, where Mach 1 equals the speed of sound (about 1,225 km/h or 761 mph). • Supersonic missiles (typically shorter-range): Travel faster than Mach 1 • Hypersonic missiles (often long-range): Exceed Mach 5 (6,125 km/h or 3,806 mph) At these speeds, some Iranian missiles can cross the distance to Israel in as little as 12 minutes, depending on the type and launch location. Why are ballistic missiles hard to intercept? Ballistic missiles pose a major challenge to air defence systems due to their: • High velocity: They fly too fast for many systems to respond in time • High trajectory: After launch, they exit the atmosphere and re-enter at extreme speeds • Countermeasures: Some carry decoys to confuse radar and missile defences All these factors make them especially dangerous and difficult to intercept effectively. Cruise missiles and drones: Slower, but harder to detect Iran has also launched cruise missiles and drones during this conflict. • Cruise missiles fly at lower altitudes, more like unmanned planes • They move slower than ballistic missiles—but are harder to detect and can change direction mid-flight • A cruise missile from Iran to Israel could take up to two hours • Drones are even slower—taking as long as nine hours to reach Israeli targets

According to US officials, Iran now has the largest ballistic missile stockpile in the Middle East, with more than 3,000 missiles ready for deployment. Some of these weapons are capable of reaching Israel in just 12 to 15 minutes.

Israel-Iran war: How much time does it take for Iran's ballistic missiles to reach Israel? Less than what you think

The United States and Iran have been in direct contact several times since Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites last week. These talks come amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran. Russia has issued a strong warning to the United States not to take military action against Iran. Amid rising speculation that Washington might join Israel’s strikes, Moscow’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, “We would like to particularly warn Washington against military intervention in the situation.”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-iran-war-washington-called-first-us-and-iran-held-direct-talks-multiple-times-since-israeli-strikes-what-did-they-talk-about-1750350325016">'Washington called first': US, Iran held direct talks multiple times since Israeli strikes - What did they talk about?</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2025/20250619/image-1750350461626.png?rect=(0,0,1200,900)&amp;w=752&amp;h=564&amp;format=webp&amp;quality=medium" alt="'Washington called first': US, Iran held direct talks multiple times since Israeli strikes - What did they talk about?"></figure>The United States and Iran have been in direct contact several times since Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites last week. These talks come amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-iran-war-russia-warns-us-against-military-action-in-iran-why-putin-doesn-t-want-trump-to-step-in-1750343527125">Israel-Iran war: Russia warns US against 'military action' in Iran - Why Putin doesn't want Trump to step in</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2025/20250619/image-1750343764505.png?rect=(0,240,1440,1080)&amp;w=752&amp;h=564&amp;format=webp&amp;quality=medium" alt="Israel-Iran war: Russia warns US against 'military action' in Iran - Why Putin doesn't want Trump to step in"></figure>Russia has issued a strong warning to the United States not to take military action against Iran. Amid rising speculation that Washington might join Israel’s strikes, Moscow’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, “We would like to particularly warn Washington against military intervention in the situation.” <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-iran-war-what-is-iran-s-arak-nuclear-reactor-tehran-s-second-pathway-to-a-potential-nuclear-bomb-explained-1750345507630">What is Iran's Arak nuclear reactor? Tehran's second pathway to a potential nuclear bomb</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2025/20250619/image-1750346000202.jpeg?rect=(0,50,358,268)&amp;w=752&amp;h=564&amp;format=webp&amp;quality=medium" alt="What is Iran's Arak nuclear reactor? Tehran's second pathway to a potential nuclear bomb | EXPLAINED"></figure>As the war in the Middle East intensifies, Israel on Thursday (June 19) carried out strikes on Iran's Arak heavy water reactor with an aim to halt any potential plutonium production, which could be further used in nuclear weapons development. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-iran-war-what-is-iran-s-bushehr-nuclear-power-plant-a-site-that-can-cause-chernobyl-like-disaster-if-struck-by-tel-aviv-1750345486475">Israel-Iran war: What is Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant? A site that can cause 'Chernobyl-like' disaster if struck by Tel Aviv</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2025/20250619/image-1750346237377.png?rect=(0,0,1200,900)&amp;w=752&amp;h=564&amp;format=webp&amp;quality=medium" alt="Israel-Iran war: What is Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant? A site that can cause 'Chernobyl-like' disaster if struck by Tel Aviv"></figure>Amid high tensions between Israel and Iran, Israeli airstrikes targeted Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. While one Israeli military spokesperson claimed that Bushehr had been struck, another official later called it a “mistake” and refused to confirm or deny the report.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/idf-killed-30-iranian-commanders-in-first-strikes-must-hunt-down-remaining-intel-chief-1750350395861">IDF killed 30 Iranian commanders in first strikes, must ‘hunt down’ remaining: Intel chief</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2025/20250619/image-1750351004394.jpg?rect=(0,77,1214,911)&amp;w=752&amp;h=564&amp;format=webp&amp;quality=medium" alt="IDF killed 30 Iranian commanders in first strikes, must ‘hunt down’ remaining: Intel chief"></figure>The chief of the Military Intelligence Directorate, Major General Shlomi Binder, revealed on Thursday that the IDF had eliminated 30 Iranian commanders in its initial strikes last Friday but had named only eight top generals killed that morning, and said they must “hunt down” the fleeing Iranian military commanders, wherever they are. “We struck the Quds Force very hard on the first night. This includes roughly 30 commanders, the names that were published are those of the more senior ones. But we’re talking about Chiefs of Staff and Air Force Commanders,” he said.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-more-suicide-prevention-lifeline-for-lgbtq-in-us-trump-announces-new-anti-dei-policy-here-s-all-you-need-to-know-1750342892604">No more suicide prevention lifeline for LGBTQ+ in US? Trump announces new anti-DEI policy</a> <img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2025/20250619/image-1750343087184.png?rect=(0,0,1200,900)&amp;w=752&amp;h=564&amp;format=webp&amp;quality=medium" alt="No more suicide prevention lifeline for LGBTQ+ in US? Trump announces new anti-DEI policy - Here's all you need to know">US President Donald Trump's administration has announced to end the national LGBTQ youth suicide lifeline in 30 days. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) put out on Tuesday (June 17, 2025) that the 988 Suicide &amp; Crisis Lifeline will not use its LGBTQ youth services. As of July 17, the "Press 3" option, which connected callers to counselors trained to support LGBTQ youth, will no longer be available.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spacex-starship-explodes-into-massive-fireball-in-texas-black-smoke-engulfs-sky-watch-1750333148415">SpaceX Starship explodes into massive fireball in Texas, black smoke engulfs sky - WATCH</a> <img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2025/20250619/image-1750333619471.png?rect=(0,0,1200,900)&amp;w=752&amp;h=564&amp;format=webp&amp;quality=medium" alt="SpaceX Starship explodes into massive fireball in Texas, black smoke engulfs sky - WATCH">A SpaceX Starship prototype erupted into flames during a routine test at the company's facility in Tesla late Wednesday night (June 18). As it exploded, the rocket was seen bursting into a giant ball of fire during the test. The incident has raised concerns about the timeline for SpaceX's next launch attempt. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/kashmiri-students-evacuated-from-iran-have-arrive-in-valley-thankful-to-modi-government-for-swift-evacuation-1750342061540">Kashmiri students evacuated from Iran arrive in Valley, thankful to Modi government for swift evacuation</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2025/20250619/image-1750342763037.jpg?rect=(0,0,1920,1440)&amp;w=752&amp;h=564&amp;format=webp&amp;quality=medium" alt="Kashmiri students evacuated from Iran arrive in Valley, thankful to Modi government for swift evacuation"></figure>The Ministry of External Affairs and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had once again proven that they care for every citizen of the country. Over 110 Indian students which included 94 Kashmiri students were evacuated from the war zone to India and many of them have already reached Kashmir. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/-working-with-aamir-khan-was-like-climbing-the-mt-everest-sitaare-zameen-par-director-rs-prasanna-on-working-with-the-superstar-exclusive-1750337542940">Sitaare Zameen Par director on working with Aamir Khan, power of cinema &amp; more</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2025/20250619/image-1750338132036.png?rect=(0,160,960,720)&amp;w=752&amp;h=564&amp;format=webp&amp;quality=medium" alt="‘Working with Aamir Khan was like climbing the Mt Everest’: Sitaare Zameen Par director RS Prasanna on working with the superstar| Exclusive"></figure>Filmmaker RS Prasanna believes cinema plays an important role in starting important conversations and forging relationships. His latest film Sitaare Zameen Par- featuring Aamir Khan and Genelia Deshmukh- is hours away from release and while the director feels it is a big responsibility to be working with Aamir- he is confident that the film, much like his debut Bollywood feature Shubh Mangal Savdhan, will start an important conversation about inclusivity. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-1st-test-match-prediction-what-should-india-do-after-winning-toss-and-how-much-is-par-score-1750349099064">IND vs ENG, 1st Test Match Prediction: What should India do after winning toss</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2025/20250619/image-1750349581454.jpg?rect=(0,0,1200,900)&amp;w=752&amp;h=564&amp;format=webp&amp;quality=medium" alt="IND vs ENG, 1st Test Match Prediction: What should India do after winning toss and how much is par score - check inside"></figure>India are ready to start a new journey in Test cricket with a five-match series against England, starting on June 20 (Wednesday). The team will play under their new captain, Shubman Gill. This is India’s first Test series after a 162-day break. The last time they played a Test was in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024-25). Looking at the last five Test matches at Headingley, teams that batted second have won four times. Teams batting first have won just once. This shows that the toss will be very important, as the pitch mostly helps teams that bat second. &nbsp;

Here are the top 10 stories from across the world

The United States and Iran have been in direct contact several times since Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites last week. These talks come amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran. Russia has issued a strong warning to the United States not to take military action against Iran. Amid rising speculation that Washington might join Israel’s strikes, Moscow’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, “We would like to particularly warn Washington against military intervention in the situation.” 'Washington called first': US, Iran held direct talks multiple times since Israeli strikes - What did they talk about? The United States and Iran have been in direct contact several times since Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites last week. These talks come amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran. Israel-Iran war: Russia warns US against 'military action' in Iran - Why Putin doesn't want Trump to step in Russia has issued a strong warning to the United States not to take military action against Iran. Amid rising speculation that Washington might join Israel’s strikes, Moscow’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, “We would like to particularly warn Washington against military intervention in the situation.” What is Iran's Arak nuclear reactor? Tehran's second pathway to a potential nuclear bomb As the war in the Middle East intensifies, Israel on Thursday (June 19) carried out strikes on Iran's Arak heavy water reactor with an aim to halt any potential plutonium production, which could be further used in nuclear weapons development. Israel-Iran war: What is Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant? A site that can cause 'Chernobyl-like' disaster if struck by Tel Aviv Amid high tensions between Israel and Iran, Israeli airstrikes targeted Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. While one Israeli military spokesperson claimed that Bushehr had been struck, another official later called it a “mistake” and refused to confirm or deny the report. IDF killed 30 Iranian commanders in first strikes, must ‘hunt down’ remaining: Intel chief The chief of the Military Intelligence Directorate, Major General Shlomi Binder, revealed on Thursday that the IDF had eliminated 30 Iranian commanders in its initial strikes last Friday but had named only eight top generals killed that morning, and said they must “hunt down” the fleeing Iranian military commanders, wherever they are. “We struck the Quds Force very hard on the first night. This includes roughly 30 commanders, the names that were published are those of the more senior ones. But we’re talking about Chiefs of Staff and Air Force Commanders,” he said. No more suicide prevention lifeline for LGBTQ+ in US? Trump announces new anti-DEI policy US President Donald Trump's administration has announced to end the national LGBTQ youth suicide lifeline in 30 days. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) put out on Tuesday (June 17, 2025) that the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will not use its LGBTQ youth services. As of July 17, the "Press 3" option, which connected callers to counselors trained to support LGBTQ youth, will no longer be available. SpaceX Starship explodes into massive fireball in Texas, black smoke engulfs sky - WATCH A SpaceX Starship prototype erupted into flames during a routine test at the company's facility in Tesla late Wednesday night (June 18). As it exploded, the rocket was seen bursting into a giant ball of fire during the test. The incident has raised concerns about the timeline for SpaceX's next launch attempt. Kashmiri students evacuated from Iran arrive in Valley, thankful to Modi government for swift evacuation The Ministry of External Affairs and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had once again proven that they care for every citizen of the country. Over 110 Indian students which included 94 Kashmiri students were evacuated from the war zone to India and many of them have already reached Kashmir. Sitaare Zameen Par director on working with Aamir Khan, power of cinema & more Filmmaker RS Prasanna believes cinema plays an important role in starting important conversations and forging relationships. His latest film Sitaare Zameen Par- featuring Aamir Khan and Genelia Deshmukh- is hours away from release and while the director feels it is a big responsibility to be working with Aamir- he is confident that the film, much like his debut Bollywood feature Shubh Mangal Savdhan, will start an important conversation about inclusivity. IND vs ENG, 1st Test Match Prediction: What should India do after winning toss India are ready to start a new journey in Test cricket with a five-match series against England, starting on June 20 (Wednesday). The team will play under their new captain, Shubman Gill. This is India’s first Test series after a 162-day break. The last time they played a Test was in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024-25). Looking at the last five Test matches at Headingley, teams that batted second have won four times. Teams batting first have won just once. This shows that the toss will be very important, as the pitch mostly helps teams that bat second.

Here are the top 10 stories from across the world

Top 10 world news: Israel-Iran war updates; Russia warns US against 'military action' in Tehran, and more

Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday (Jun 19) said Iran remains committed to "diplomacy," but would not hesitate to act in "self-defence" against Israeli strikes.This comes as Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a day earlier, on Wednesday (Jun 18) Iran would never surrender.<h2>Iran's self-defence</h2>In a post on X, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi said that Iran was "solely" acting in "self-defence"."Even in the face of the most outrageous aggression against our people, Iran has so far only retaliated against the Israeli regime and not those who are aiding and abetting it," he claimed."With the exception of the illegitimate, genocidal and occupying Israeli regime, we remain committed to diplomacy," added Araghchi.<h2>Khamenei warns the US against getting involved</h2>Iran's supreme leader Khamenei has, meanwhile, vowed that "this nation will never surrender".After US President Donald Trump called for Tehran's "unconditional surrender", the Iranian supreme leader, calling the ultimatum "unacceptable", said that "America should know that any military intervention will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage."His statement came as Iran's state TV reported the launch of Fattah hypersonic missiles, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps reported the unleashing of a new wave of hypersonic and long-range missiles — just hours after Israel claimed it had wiped out Tehran’s internal security HQ.Meanwhile, speculation is rising that the US may intervene. Trump said Wednesday that Iran's leadership could fall as a result of the war and that his patience has "run out". Speaking to reporters at the White House, he ominously said that a change in Iran's government "could happen". This statement follows reports that he had vetoed Khamenei's assassination, and just a day earlier, Trump had even boasted that the United States could assassinate Khamenei but would not do so, "at least not for now".&nbsp;

"Even in the face of the most outrageous aggression against our people, Iran has so far only retaliated against the Israeli regime and not those who are aiding and abetting it," he claimed.

Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday (Jun 19) said Iran remains committed to "diplomacy," but would not hesitate to act in "self-defence" against Israeli strikes. This comes as Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a day earlier, on Wednesday (Jun 18) Iran would never surrender. Iran's self-defence In a post on X, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi said that Iran was "solely" acting in "self-defence". "Even in the face of the most outrageous aggression against our people, Iran has so far only retaliated against the Israeli regime and not those who are aiding and abetting it," he claimed. "With the exception of the illegitimate, genocidal and occupying Israeli regime, we remain committed to diplomacy," added Araghchi. Khamenei warns the US against getting involved Iran's supreme leader Khamenei has, meanwhile, vowed that "this nation will never surrender". After US President Donald Trump called for Tehran's "unconditional surrender", the Iranian supreme leader, calling the ultimatum "unacceptable", said that "America should know that any military intervention will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage." His statement came as Iran's state TV reported the launch of Fattah hypersonic missiles, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps reported the unleashing of a new wave of hypersonic and long-range missiles — just hours after Israel claimed it had wiped out Tehran’s internal security HQ. Meanwhile, speculation is rising that the US may intervene. Trump said Wednesday that Iran's leadership could fall as a result of the war and that his patience has "run out". Speaking to reporters at the White House, he ominously said that a change in Iran's government "could happen". This statement follows reports that he had vetoed Khamenei's assassination, and just a day earlier, Trump had even boasted that the United States could assassinate Khamenei but would not do so, "at least not for now".

"Even in the face of the most outrageous aggression against our people, Iran has so far only retaliated against the Israeli regime and not those who are aiding and abetting it," he claimed.

Iran says committed to 'diplomacy' but won't hesitate to act in 'self-defence' against Israel

French President Emmanuel Macron has a message for Israel — and it's urgent. At a National Security Council meeting on Wednesday (Jun 18), Macron expressed deep concern over the "escalation" unfolding between Iran and Israel. Pointing to the mounting civilian casualties due to the increasingly reckless Israeli airstrikes, he urged Tel Aviv to end strikes on Iran that have nothing to do with nukes or missiles.<h2>What did Macron say to Israel?</h2>Addressing the National Security Council meeting, the French president "noted his concern over the current escalation, with Israeli strikes increasingly hitting targets not linked to Iran's nuclear or ballistic programme, and a mounting number of civilian victims in Iran and Israel," said his office.He said it was "necessary to urgently end these military operations, which pose significant threats to regional security", added the statement.Macron has also directed his foreign ministry to help French nationals in Iran and Israel leave the region if they wish to, added the Elysee without sharing further details.<h2>France won't just sit this one out</h2>Macron's office revealed that France, along with its European partners, was planning to suggest a negotiated solution to end the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.To this end, Macron has tasked Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot with drafting a new initiative — alongside Germany and the UK — aimed at brokering a negotiated peace, reports AFP.The initiative with close European partners "would propose a demanding negotiated settlement to put an end to the conflict" before it spirals further. However, specific details remain sparse.Backchannel talks are already underway, according to AFP. Barrot has reportedly been in regular touch with his British and German counterparts since Israel launched massive air strikes against Iran on Friday.France, Germany, and the UK were all part of the now-faltering 2015 Iran nuclear deal. The groundbreaking deal started falling apart after the US walked away from it during President Donald Trump's first term.

Macron expressed deep concern over the "escalation" unfolding between Iran and Israel. Pointing to the mounting civilian casualties due to the increasingly reckless Israeli airstrikes, he urged Tel Aviv to end strikes on Iran that have nothing to do with nukes or missiles.

French President Emmanuel Macron has a message for Israel — and it's urgent. At a National Security Council meeting on Wednesday (Jun 18), Macron expressed deep concern over the "escalation" unfolding between Iran and Israel. Pointing to the mounting civilian casualties due to the increasingly reckless Israeli airstrikes, he urged Tel Aviv to end strikes on Iran that have nothing to do with nukes or missiles. What did Macron say to Israel? Addressing the National Security Council meeting, the French president "noted his concern over the current escalation, with Israeli strikes increasingly hitting targets not linked to Iran's nuclear or ballistic programme, and a mounting number of civilian victims in Iran and Israel," said his office. He said it was "necessary to urgently end these military operations, which pose significant threats to regional security", added the statement. Macron has also directed his foreign ministry to help French nationals in Iran and Israel leave the region if they wish to, added the Elysee without sharing further details. France won't just sit this one out Macron's office revealed that France, along with its European partners, was planning to suggest a negotiated solution to end the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel. To this end, Macron has tasked Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot with drafting a new initiative — alongside Germany and the UK — aimed at brokering a negotiated peace, reports AFP. The initiative with close European partners "would propose a demanding negotiated settlement to put an end to the conflict" before it spirals further. However, specific details remain sparse. Backchannel talks are already underway, according to AFP. Barrot has reportedly been in regular touch with his British and German counterparts since Israel launched massive air strikes against Iran on Friday. France, Germany, and the UK were all part of the now-faltering 2015 Iran nuclear deal. The groundbreaking deal started falling apart after the US walked away from it during President Donald Trump's first term.

Macron expressed deep concern over the "escalation" unfolding between Iran and Israel. Pointing to the mounting civilian casualties due to the increasingly reckless Israeli airstrikes, he urged Tel Aviv to end strikes on Iran that have nothing to do with nukes or missiles.

Macron urges Israel to cease strikes not linked to Iran's nuclear, ballistic programme, points to 'mounting' civilian deaths

Israel-Iran war: Iranian strikes hit Israel's intelligence service Mossad HQ amid war escalationIsrael’s foreign intelligence service, Mossad headquarters has been hit following Iranian strikes, Iranian state media reported.This comes as the war between the two countries escalate, which led to the death of more than 200 people in Iran and over a dozen Israelis.According to Press TV, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that they struck a centre of Mossad on Tuesday amid the ongoing war.The Israeli military attempted to downplay the strikes by highlighting damage to a nearby bus parking lot. But, according to reports, the missiles hit targeted strategic sites, including Aman logistics facility and Mossad headquarters in Herzliya.Meanwhile, Iranian armed forces also warned Israel of a new wave of "fierce attacks" with "new and advanced weapons" that will intensify in the coming hours.The Israel Defence Forces on Tuesday said that Iran has launched 30 missiles today, with some breaching defences."We will relentlessly pursue our enemies through advanced intelligence capabilities, exploiting emerging opportunities, air superiority, and complex operational planning," it said.While Israel claimed that is had killed top Iranian commander Ali Shadmani in overnight airstrike.This came just days after Shadmani was appointed to the post after the assassination of the predecessor by Israel.Moreover, US President Donald Trump is looking for a "real end" to Israel Iran conflict and is not working on an Iran-Israel ceasefire.I’m not looking for a ceasefire, we’re looking at better than a ceasefire.The president said he was looking for “an end, a real end, not a ceasefire,” adding that he wanted a “complete give-up” by Iran.Moreover, in a Truth Social post, he also said that he had not reached out to Iran for peace talks in any “way, shape, or form”, adding that the country “should have taken the deal that was on the table”.

According to Press TV, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that they struck a centre of Mossad on Tuesday amid the ongoing war.

Israel-Iran war: Iranian strikes hit Israel's intelligence service Mossad HQ amid war escalation Israel’s foreign intelligence service, Mossad headquarters has been hit following Iranian strikes, Iranian state media reported. This comes as the war between the two countries escalate, which led to the death of more than 200 people in Iran and over a dozen Israelis. According to Press TV, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that they struck a centre of Mossad on Tuesday amid the ongoing war. The Israeli military attempted to downplay the strikes by highlighting damage to a nearby bus parking lot. But, according to reports, the missiles hit targeted strategic sites, including Aman logistics facility and Mossad headquarters in Herzliya. Meanwhile, Iranian armed forces also warned Israel of a new wave of "fierce attacks" with "new and advanced weapons" that will intensify in the coming hours. The Israel Defence Forces on Tuesday said that Iran has launched 30 missiles today, with some breaching defences. "We will relentlessly pursue our enemies through advanced intelligence capabilities, exploiting emerging opportunities, air superiority, and complex operational planning," it said. While Israel claimed that is had killed top Iranian commander Ali Shadmani in overnight airstrike. This came just days after Shadmani was appointed to the post after the assassination of the predecessor by Israel. Moreover, US President Donald Trump is looking for a "real end" to Israel Iran conflict and is not working on an Iran-Israel ceasefire. I’m not looking for a ceasefire, we’re looking at better than a ceasefire. The president said he was looking for “an end, a real end, not a ceasefire,” adding that he wanted a “complete give-up” by Iran. Moreover, in a Truth Social post, he also said that he had not reached out to Iran for peace talks in any “way, shape, or form”, adding that the country “should have taken the deal that was on the table”.

According to Press TV, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that they struck a centre of Mossad on Tuesday amid the ongoing war.

Israel-Iran war: Iranian strikes hit Israel's intelligence agency Mossad HQ as war escalates

This mission joins a growing list of complex rescue operations New Delhi has undertaken for its citizens in recent years. Let's take a look at India's major citizen-rescue operations 


This mission joins a growing list of complex rescue operations New Delhi has undertaken for its citizens in recent years. Let's take a look at India's major citizen-rescue operations.&nbsp; &nbsp;

India begins evacuating citizens from Iran: From Yemen to Ukraine, how New Delhi always rescues its own