Donald Trump LIVE: President backs down on Iran attack and issues statement

The Kremlin has said it would react "very negatively" to an assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, as both Israel and US President Trump have threatened to do in recent days.

Russia's Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov gave a rare foreign media interview to Sky News where he warned that taking this action would "open the Pandora's box" in Iranian society and "lead to the birth of extremist movements."

"[Regime change in Iran] is unimaginable. It should be unacceptable, even talking about that should be unacceptable for everyone," Peskov added, in a veiled barb at Trump's threats on social media.

A large explosion lit up the skyline in the northern Iranian city of Rasht, with reports indicating that Israel has hit a major carbon fibre manufacturing centre. This material is key in the production of both missiles and nuclear centrifuges.

Earlier, the IDF's Farsi spokesperson issued an "urgent warning" to civilians living in the village of Kalesh Taleshan, which is next to Sefidrood Industrial Park where the factory is based on the outskirts of Rasht.

Residents reported seeing the fireball and following smoke cloud from the explosion at a distance of 30km. Iran had previously described the high-grade factory as costing $500 million to construct.

David Lammy will travel to Geneva later today for talks with the Iranian foreign minister and European allies as the UK presses for a diplomatic solution to the Israel-Iran conflict.

The Foreign Secretary is set to meet Abbas Araghchi alongside his counterparts from France, Germany and the EU, in neutral Switzerland.

Reports from PA suggest that he will seek to negotiate a settlement before US President Donald Trump decides on whether to take military action against Tehran, following his vague "two week" deadline.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under fire after lamenting the 'personal cost' Israelis have suffered since he began the war with Iran. With the death toll now over 600, he bemoaned the impact of the war on his son's wedding plans.

During a television interview, the Israeli PM said: “Each of us bears a personal cost, and my family has not been exempt." He added: “This is the second time that my son Avner, due to missile threats and rocket fire, has cancelled a wedding.

The New York Times has reported fury in Israel at the comments, with one member of the Knesset saying there are many families "who will now never celebrate the weddings that were once meant to take place."

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has released a statement after his meeting with the US' two top negotiators in the Iran conflict, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ambassador Witkoff.

Lammy warned that the conflict "remains perilous" for the Middle East, adding "We are determined that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon."

The US and UK's top foreign officials discussed a deal that "could avoid a deepening conflict," after the fiery rhetoric of recent days. Lammy added: "A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution."

The Israeli military has alleged that Iran used illegal cluster munitions in an attack on the centre of the country.

Local media reports the IDF saying that an Iranian missile's payload split into 20 smaller bombs at 31,000ft before scattering indiscriminately over a five-mile area.

International treaties signed by more than 100 countries have banned the use of cluster bombs in warfare, though they have continued to be used.

Most recently, in the Syrian civil war and by US-UK forces in Iraq, all of which drew condemnation from human rights activists for their devastating impact on civilians.

Sir Keir Starmer has been warned that British involvement in an attack on Iran by the United States could be illegal.

Advice attributed to the Attorney General, Lord Hermer, reportedly says the UK would have to limit its participation to defending allies.

An official said to have seen the peer's legal advice told The Spectator: "The AG has concerns about the UK playing any role in this except for defending our allies."

Iran's mullah regime is desperately trying to shore up its crumbling authority, as officials fear a new revolution in the Islamic Republic.

Analysts at the US think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in their latest bulletin on the war: "The regime has also arrested several individuals whom it claims are 'Mossad spies' since the start of the Israeli air campaign on June 12.

"This further illustrates the regime's growing paranoia about infiltration and heightened concern about internal security threats."

Irans continued internet shutdown has been labelled the worst ever in the country's history.

Tehran imposed a nationwide shutdown, preventing communication with people in the outside world for the majority of the population.

No websites or serviced can be accessed at all, even with VPNs - most of which are banned already.

Amir Rashidi from Iranian advocacy group Miaan Group said: "This is the worst internet shutdown in the country’s history.

"It’s worse than in November 2019. Back then, inbound internet traffic to Iran was not completely blocked. But since last night, even inbound traffic has been cut off."

Economic experts fear that if the US escalates the situation, the impact on the UK could be severe—with inflation, fuel prices, and supply chain disruption all back on the table.

Faisal Sheikh, Managing Director at Monmouth Capital, issued a stark warning about what could be coming next. He said: “We should prepare for this conflict to go on for years.

“Any notion that Iran will ‘unconditionally surrender’ any time soon is misguided. This is a country with its roots in an ancient civilisation; as recently as the 1980s, it fought a brutal war to a standstill with Iraq. Iran has adapted to crippling sanctions, effectively cutting it off from Western economies.

“Much of its population may despise its authoritarian rulers, but right now every Iranian will be rallying to the cause, just as any of us would be if a neighbouring country attacked us.”

Britain is pushing for “cool heads” and a return to diplomacy as the world waits to see whether Donald Trump will order American attacks on Iran.

Downing Street insists diplomacy is the only “path to peace” and “de-escalation” is the priority.

The Government is “gravely concerned” about Iran’s nuclear programme and its threat to international security, but is urging “all parties” to show “restraint”.

The comments came hours after an Israeli hospital in the town of Beersheba was hit by an Iranian missile strike.

Sir Keir Starmer urged Donald Trump to be cautious in his approach to the Israel-Iran conflict as there's a "real risk of escalation".

The Prime Minister warned against military action, instead saying the way forward is through negotiations.

Donald Trump is "unafraid to take military action" in Iran, an expert has claimed.

Sky News US correspondent said the White House briefing by press secretary Karoline Leavitt was "quite telling" as it revealed Washington and Tehran were in communication.

He said: "She confirmed that the president's special envoy Steve Witkoff was still in contact with the Iranians, and she talked about the president desiring diplomacy, but being unafraid to take military action if required.

"She talked about the proposal to Iran being reasonable and rational, and said regime change was not the president's priority right now."

Benjamin Netanyahu praised Donald Trump's stance on the Israel-Iran conflict during a visit to a hospital earlier today.

The Israeli prime minister said: "President Trump will do what's best for America.

"I trust his judgement, he is a tremendous friend, a tremendous world leader, a tremendous friend of Israel and the Jewish people.

"And we will do what we have to do, and we are doing it. We are committed to destroying the threat of a nuclear annihilation against Israel.

"But I have to say that the partnership with the United States, the partnership with President Trump, with whom I speak to almost every day, is incredible.

"I think his resolve, his determination and his clarity when he says Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and for that to take place, Iran cannot enrich uranium.

"It's as simple as that. He gave them the chance to do it through negotiations, they strung them along.

"You don't string along Donald Trump, you know, he knows the game, and I think that we're both committed to making sure that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon and they won't."

It's the US's stance that "Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon", Karoline Leavitt said.

She added that Tehran is merely waiting for a decision from the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on whether to use said weapon.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt urged Iran to come to the negotiating table or "face grave consequences".

She said Tehran has been weakened by recent Israeli strikes hinged on trying to destroy its nuclear capabilities.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed the Trump administration's stance that Iran "has never been closer to developing a nuclear weapon".

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the conditions of negotiations with Iran are "no enrichment of uranium" and making sure Tehran is "absolutely not able" to create a nuclear weapon.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said "Iran absolutely cannot obtain a nuclear weapon", echoing Donald Trump's stance.

Donald Trump said he will be coming to a conclusion regarding attacking Iran within mere weeks.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt relayed the message: "I will make my decision ... within the next two weeks."

The full quote from the US president reads: "Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks."

The White House news conference has begun, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt currently speaking.

She has praised Donald Trump's tough stance on immigration.

We're still waiting to hear from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, but in the meantime here's what Donald Trump said about his reported attack plan on Iran.

The US president appeared to say these claims, made by the Wall Street Journal, were nonsense.

He wrote on Truth Social: "The Wall Street Journal has No Idea what my thoughts are concerning Iran."

Donald Trump's press briefing was scheduled for 6pm but has not yet started.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt is expected to take questions from the media shortly.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff has reportedly spoken to Iran's foreign minister several times over the last week.

Three diplomats have told Reuters that the talks are part of efforts to find an end to the conflict with Israel.

Tehran said it would not negotiate unless Israel stopped its attacks, the outlet said.

Donald Trump has reportedly been briefed on the possibility of bombing Iran's Fordo nuclear site.

The US president thinks disabling Tehran's most secretive facility is necessary because of the weapons they could be producing quickly, CBS News reported.

A source told the outlet: "He believes there's not much choice. Finishing the job means destroying Fordo."

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei may be attempting to activate terrorist "sleeper cells" across the West as he continues to make inflammatory statements rejecting Donald Trump's calls for surrender, Middle Eastern experts have said.

According to Henry Jackson Society research fellow Barak Seener, Khamenei may be turning to terrorist Iranian sympathisers across the world as he runs out of traditional resources.

Iran has lost far more than Israel has in the war that has plagued the region for the last week.

“The very fact now that the Iranian regime is volatile, it’s targeted, and it’s highly vulnerable — that’s what actually makes it increasingly dangerous to the West, in that it has nothing to lose it has this about this sense of nihilism, and it affects the rational calculus,” Mr Seener explained.

One of the US's special nuclear-resistant "Doomsday Planes" was spotted landing near Washington DC as American President Donald Trump threatens a major escalation with strikes on Iran.

US Air Force E-4B, a militarised version of a Boeing 747-200 kitted out to provide maximimum protection to US leadership in times of crisis, touched down at Joint Base Andrews on Tuesday, according to reports.

The plane, also known as Nightwatch, arrived only hours after Trump has a crisis meeting with national security advisors in the White House about the conflict that has broken out between Israel and Iran in recent days.

Donald Trump has approved plans to strike Iran, it's been reported.

The US president has apparently given the green light to attack plans but withheld the final order, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The outlet claimed that Tehran's Fordow enrichment facility is a potential target.

Buried under a mountain, it's considered to be unreachable by all but the most powerful bombs.

Good afternoon and welcome to our live blog covering Donald Trump's press briefing today.

Follow along throughout the day for all the latest updates.