Israel-Iran attacks live: Latest news and reactions from the conflict today, Saturday, June 21
The Israeli Air Force announced on its social media: "Following alerts about the intrusion of hostile aircraft in the Ghajar area at 4:56 a.m., the Air Force shot down a suspicious aerial target . Alerts were activated in accordance with policy."
According to local media outlet The Times of Israel , the fire on the roof of a building in central Israel has been brought under control. There was no damage to the apartments and no injuries.
Iranian media reports claim that at least two people were killed in an attack on the city of Qom. One of them is linked to the country's nuclear program.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said in an interview with Bild that the attacks on Iran have delayed Tehran's ability to develop a nuclear weapon by at least "two or three years."
According to the Israeli Air Force's social media account, it launched a "wave of attacks against missile storage and launch infrastructure in central Iran." This occurred after the Iranian offensive.
Iran has launched a new barrage of missiles at Israel. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed this via X. "Sirens sound in central Israel due to missile launches from Iran," they reported.
Sirens were heard across Israeli territory, warning citizens to seek shelter.
The Israeli Defense Forces listed four weapons in Iran's arsenal that "cannot be ignored." They started with ballistic missiles, which have a potential range of 2,000 kilometers and can be precisely guided to strike specific targets.
“They killed many citizens and destroyed countless neighborhoods,” they said. They continued using unmanned aerial vehicles carrying explosives “to target civilian areas and cause indiscriminate damage.”
Third, they mentioned cruise missiles, low-flying self-propelled weapons that can "evade air defense radars." Finally, they mentioned that "they have nuclear bombs." "Iran had enough enriched uranium to make 15 of these weapons of mass destruction," they stated.
Iranian police announced they arrested two foreigners in Tehran accused of being Israeli Mossad agents and allegedly sending information to Germany. A spokesperson said the two were identified and arrested while sending information about the location of an official. "For each activity carried out, they received $2,000 in their foreign accounts," he added.
A few hours earlier, Iranian intelligence services arrested a European citizen in Kohkiluye and Buyer Ahmad, seeking to gather information from sensitive and important centers. He had entered the country as a tourist and had several cell phones used to conduct his transactions. His identity and nationality are unknown.
With information from DPA
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar asserted that the Jewish state's bombing of Iran delayed Tehran's ability to develop a nuclear weapon "by at least two or three years." The offensive had "very significant" results, he told the German newspaper Bild.
With information from AFP
Donald Trump was asked by reporters what intelligence he had that suggested Iran was building a nuclear weapon, when his intelligence department had previously said it had no evidence.
"Well, then my address is wrong. Who said that?" he asked, to which reporters replied that it was Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
“She’s wrong,” she responded. Gabbard told Congress in March that U.S. intelligence agencies had determined that Iran had not resumed its nuclear weapons program, which was suspended in 2003.
With information from BBC
“This is what an IAF interception of 15 Iranian UAVs launched against Israeli civilians looks like,” X wrote alongside the video.
US President Donald Trump maintained that European powers will not be able to contribute to ending the war. The president spoke to the press after the meeting in Geneva between top diplomats from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and the European Union with the Iranian foreign minister.
"Iran doesn't want to talk to Europe. It wants to talk to us. Europe won't be able to help with this," he declared.
US President Donald Trump said he will make a decision on whether or not the United States will intervene in the Iran-Israel conflict within a "maximum" of two weeks. Since last week, the US president has speculated about the possibility of bombing the Islamic regime's nuclear facilities and, in doing so, collaborating with the Jewish state in the clashes, the main objective of which is to attack the Fordow facility located under a mountain.
From their X account, they shared an image of the fragments that break off from the missiles in the air. These fall to the ground in populated areas and open spaces. “Touching or picking up these objects at and around the crash site is a real danger. These objects may contain dangerous explosives. In any case, if you encounter this type of incident, you should stay away from the scene and immediately call 100,” they recommended.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot maintained that he does not believe there is a "definitive solution" militarily to Iran's "nuclear problem." "The Iranian Foreign Minister indicated his willingness to continue these discussions on the nuclear program and, more generally, on all issues. We hope that Iran will be open to discussion, including with the United States, in order to reach an agreement through dialogue," he told reporters after the meeting in Geneva.
Following the talks in Geneva, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi told reporters that Iran is “ready to consider diplomacy once the aggression stops” and “the aggressor is held accountable for the atrocious crimes it has committed.”
He asserted that the country's nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and that the attacks constitute a violation of international law. He also maintained that the Islamic regime will continue to exercise its legitimate right to self-defense: "I make it crystal clear that Iran's defense capability is non-negotiable."
US President Donald Trump chaired a national security meeting on Iran with senior advisers at the White House.
The meeting was reported by a US official, who also said US special envoy Steve Witkoff is in regular contact with the Iranians, with Qatar acting as an intermediary.
The Israel Defense Forces dismantled the three launchers prepared to fire a barrage of missiles toward Israel.
In addition, a remotely piloted aircraft identified a group of Iranian soldiers, including a commander of an IRGC base in western Iran responsible for 15 missile launchers, who were on their way to carry out a launch. The group was eliminated.
Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, promised the Security Council that Israel would not stop its attacks until the Iranian nuclear threat was dismantled. Meanwhile, the Islamic regime maintained that it would continue to defend itself at the council session held on Friday.
“We will not stop. Not until Iran’s nuclear threat is dismantled, not until its war machine is dismantled, not until our people and theirs are safe.”
Iran's ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, urged the council to take action: "Israel has reportedly declared that it will continue this attack for as many days as necessary. We are alarmed by credible information that the United States could join this war."
With information from Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed concern when asked if he feared the world was heading towards World War III.
Speaking at an economic forum in St. Petersburg, Putin stated that there is a great potential for conflict in the world, and that it is increasing. He mentioned Russia's own war in Ukraine and the conflict between Israel and Iran, and said he is concerned about what is happening around Iran's nuclear facilities, where Russian specialists are building two new nuclear reactors for the Islamic Republic.
“It's disturbing. I'm not being ironic. Of course, there's a lot of potential for conflict, it's growing, and it's right under our noses, affecting us directly,” Putin said.
"And this requires, of course, not only our careful attention to the events taking place, but also the search for solutions, preferably through peaceful means, in all directions," he said.
Israeli Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said Friday that the public should prepare for a "prolonged" military offensive against Iran, emphasizing that this is the "most complex campaign in Israel's history."
In a video posted on social media, Zamir argued that Iran “has been building a clear plan for years to destroy the State of Israel” and asserted that at the time of the attack, Tehran had around 2,500 missiles, which would have increased to 8,000 in two years due to Iran’s “high production.” “The pace of development of its industry, from nuclear to missiles, forced us to act and carry out a preemptive strike,” Zamir said, adding that thanks to “surprise and powerful” bombings, Israeli troops have achieved “extraordinary achievements.”
"We have eliminated the enemy's high command, inflicted extensive damage to components of the nuclear program; we have opened an air corridor toward Tehran; and we have identified and destroyed approximately half of the missile launchers, some just minutes before launch. We have surprised the enemy despite its heightened state of alert," he said.
Israel's military offensive against Iran is a "betrayal" of the diplomatic process with the United States, Iran's foreign minister and chief negotiator on its controversial nuclear program denounced Friday.
"We were attacked in the middle of a diplomatic process. We were supposed to meet with the Americans on June 15 to work out a very promising agreement," Abbas Araqchi told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Shortly afterward, he met with his French, British, and German counterparts at a hotel in the Swiss city. Araqchi is making his first trip abroad since the Israeli attacks began, which he called an "outrageous act of aggression."
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff was scheduled to meet with Araqchi in Oman on June 15, but the meeting was canceled following the Israeli offensive.
The Israeli Air Force said at noon on Friday that an aircraft “detected three Iranian missile launchers overnight ready to be launched toward the State of Israel.”
According to a post by the Air Force on social media, "the launchers were destroyed, thus thwarting a bombing raid that was scheduled to be launched early this morning toward Israel."
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres acknowledged this Friday that there is currently a "trust gap" between Iran and the UN following the enormous disagreements displayed in recent days, amid clashes with Israel, between the Central Asian country and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei lashed out at Grossi on Thursday, accusing him of having acted with partisan ambiguity in presenting the latest "absolutely biased" report on the status of Israel's nuclear program, a document that Israel used as an additional argument for attacking Iran.
Since the signing of the historic 2015 nuclear deal between Israel and Western powers, and even after the pact's dissolution with the unilateral withdrawal of the US three years later, IAEA inspectors have been able to visit Iranian nuclear facilities, but their access has been gradually reduced as Iran has withdrawn from the treaty, after denouncing that the other signatories have yielded to US dictates.
Guterres, during a briefing before the UN Security Council, indicated that relations between the IAEA and Iran are not at their best. "Let us recognize that there is a vacuum of trust," said the Secretary-General, for whom the only solution is diplomatic means and the establishment of "a credible, comprehensive, and verifiable solution, including full access to IAEA inspectors." Guterres reminded the Iranian authorities that the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty "represents a cornerstone of international security" and called on Iran to respect it.
In any case, for such inspections to take place, the UN Secretary-General estimated that the first step is a ceasefire in the bombardment that began a week ago and is leaving "a terrible toll" of "dead and wounded civilians, devastated homes, neighborhoods and civilian infrastructure, and attacks on nuclear facilities."
An attack on Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant could cause a "nuclear catastrophe," warns Argentine Rafael Grossi , head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), after noting that so far no radiation emissions have been detected in the country, but the "danger" exists.
"In the event of an attack on the Bushehr nuclear plant, a direct hit could cause a very high release of radioactivity into the environment," Grossi warned, adding that so far Israel's attacks on Iran "have not caused the release of radiation that would affect the population."
The Iran-Israel conflict is approaching a “point of no return,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday. “Unfortunately, the genocide in Gaza and the conflict with Iran are rapidly reaching the point of no return. This madness must end as soon as possible,” he said.
Erdogan also warned that the consequences could affect the region, Europe, and Asia “for many years to come.”
On June 13, Israel launched a campaign of airstrikes against Iran, claiming that Tehran was on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons. The Iranians have responded with missile and drone launches.
Iran has launched a new barrage of missiles against Israel, Iranian state media reported. Sirens have sounded across Israel urging citizens to seek shelter.
“You are watching images of the sky from the occupied territories [Israel] when the Iranian missiles arrive,” said a presenter, in images accompanied by military music.
For its part, the Israeli army announced that sirens were sounding across the country due to the arrival of missiles from Iran.
At least 11 members of the Revolutionary Guard were killed this morning in Israeli attacks on a military base in Bostanabad, in the northwestern province of East Azerbaijan. Local media reported that a funeral was held in their honor.
Thousands of people demonstrated against Israel in Tehran on Friday after weekly prayers, chanting slogans in support of their leaders, according to images broadcast on state television.
"This is the Friday of solidarity and resistance of the Iranian nation throughout the country," the news anchor said. Images showed protesters holding portraits of commanders killed since the start of the war with Israel, while others waved Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah flags.
According to television, there were demonstrations in several cities across the country, especially in Tabriz in northwestern Iran and Shiraz in the south.
On June 13, Israel launched a campaign of airstrikes against Iran, claiming that Tehran was on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons. The Iranians have responded with missile and drone launches.
The hostilities have so far left at least 224 dead in Iran and 25 in Israel, which has also killed numerous Iranian military officials and scientists and damaged its nuclear infrastructure.
The foreign ministers of the European powers are meeting this Friday in Geneva, Switzerland , with their Iranian counterparts to try to find a diplomatic solution to the war between Israel and the Islamic Republic, which could be joined by the United States.
On the eighth day of the war, warning sirens sounded in southern Israel on Friday following renewed Iranian missile fire. The Israeli military announced it had bombed dozens of targets in Tehran overnight, including a "research and development center for the Iranian nuclear weapons project."
US President Donald Trump said Thursday through a White House spokeswoman that he will decide "in the next two weeks" whether to involve his country in the Israeli offensive . Only the United States has the GBU-57 bomb, the only one capable of reaching the deeply buried core of Iran's nuclear program, located in Fordo, south of Tehran.
In this context, amid daily crossfire between the two belligerents, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, along with EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas, will meet in Geneva with their Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araqchi.
The UN Security Council will also meet this Friday, in a session requested by Iran with the support of Russia, China, and Pakistan. French President Emmanuel Macron called for a "return to substantive negotiations" and announced that his country, Germany, and the United Kingdom will make "a comprehensive diplomatic and technical negotiation offer " to the Iranians this Friday in Geneva, including on the issue of the nuclear program.
AFP Agency.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Friday that he has ordered the military to launch a campaign specifically targeting Iran's national security apparatus with the ultimate goal of " destabilizing the Iranian regime."
Katz specifically mentioned the Basij , the paramilitary force founded by the first supreme leader of the Iranian revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1979. “We have to attack all the symbols of the regime and its mechanisms of oppression,” Katz said after a morning meeting with Israeli Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, “and the entire power base of the regime, such as the Revolutionary Guard,” to which this internal security force directly reports.
By Roger Cohen (The New York Times)
PARIS—What lies beneath the Israeli bombs is the unpopular and repressive Iranian regime, which has spent billions of dollars on a nuclear program and projecting the Islamic Revolution to other countries in the region through proxy militias, while domestically ruling over economic disaster and a stifling paralysis.
That restless nation has been ruled for 36 years by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, an 86-year-old autocrat who has proven himself remarkably adept and conservative in his role as guardian of the Islamic revolution. The supreme leader is no risk-taker, but for a young and aspirational society, his system seems so remote and ossified that the supreme leader now finds himself between a rock and a hard place.
In six days of fighting, Israel wreaked havoc on the Natanz enrichment plant —where most of Iran's nuclear fuel is produced— killed at least eleven senior regime generals and several Iranian nuclear scientists, bombed oil and energy infrastructure, seized complete control of Iranian airspace, and forced tens of thousands of people to flee Tehran, the country's capital.
Read the full article here .
Two pro-Iranian militias in Iraq have warned they would launch attacks against US interests in the Middle East if Washington actively joins Israel's military offensive against Iran or assassinates the Central Asian country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“We reaffirm, even more clearly, that if the United States enters this war, the deranged (US President Donald) Trump will lose all the trillions of dollars he dreams of seizing from this region. Operational plans have been established for this purpose,” said Abu Ali al-Askari, head of the security office of the Kataib Hezbollah militia. He emphasized that “without a doubt,” US bases in the Middle East will become duck hunting grounds.
Along these lines, Akram Al-Kaabi, secretary general of Harakat Hezbollah Al-Nujaba, said that "no American soldier or diplomat would be safe if Khamenei is killed. All of his interests, direct or indirect, would be legitimate targets for us as long as we live in this cruel world," he noted, according to the Kurdish television network Rudaw .
The statements were published after Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the highest Shiite religious authority in Iraq, warned against any attack on "Iran's religious and political leadership" and said it could cause the situation in the Middle East to "get completely out of control" amid the conflict sparked by Israel's June 13 offensive against the Central Asian country.
With information from DPA
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Hezbollah would be "annihilated" if the Lebanese terrorist organization attacked Israel in support of Iran.
“Hezbollah’s secretary general is not learning the lessons of his predecessors and is threatening to act against Israel on the orders of the Iranian dictator. I suggest the Lebanese representative be careful and understand that Israel has lost patience with the terrorists who threaten it,” he said on his official X account. “If there is terrorism, there will be no Hezbollah,” he said.
According to Nexta , an Iranian ballistic missile landed in the southern Israeli city of Beer Sheva , sparking a fire in a residential area. " The missile landed near the Microsoft office building," they said.
Local media reported that at least six people suffered "light injuries." Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the Microsoft building was the target of the attack.
According to The Guardian , citing information from Al Jazeera , “At least 23 Palestinians were killed after Israeli forces opened fire on a group of people near a humanitarian aid area in Netzarim in central Gaza.
A total of 34 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since midnight, the Qatari broadcaster reported.
Through its official X accounts, Israel reported that “in recent days, warplanes have attacked Iranian missile and radar systems in the Isfahan and Tehran areas, which were aimed at damaging IDF aircraft and preventing their attacks.”
According to the Times of Israel, Australia has ordered all its officials and their dependents to leave Iran and suspended operations of its embassy in Tehran, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said at a press conference in Adelaide.
"This is not a decision taken lightly. It's a decision based on the deteriorating security situation in Iran," he said.
Through one of the multiple X accounts attributed to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the Ayatollah shared a strong message against the Israeli state, amid the escalating war between the two countries. " The Zionist enemy is being punished. It is being punished right now ," he posted.
The Israeli Air Force confirmed it attacked Tehran , the capital of Iran, with 60 manned warplanes aimed at destroying military industrial plants and missile engine raw material production plants. “ More than 60 Air Force fighter jets attacked dozens of military targets in the heart of Tehran last night (Thursday) using approximately 120 munitions ,” the Air Force said in X.
" Military industrial plants for the production of missile components and raw material production plants for missile engine casting were attacked. These facilities, built over years, constituted the industrial center of gravity of Iran's Ministry of Defense and Nuclear Affairs," they explained.
In addition, Spand's headquarters in Tehran, "which is used for research and development of advanced technologies and weapons for the Iranian regime's military capabilities," was attacked.
Various Iranian media reported at least ten deaths in the Israeli nighttime attack.
According to Haaretz , five people were "lightly injured" after an Iranian missile struck Beer Sheva. Paramedics reportedly treated the victims on-site for blast injuries, smoke inhalation, and anxiety-related injuries before evacuating them to Soroka Medical Center.
By BBC Mundo
Israel and Iran have been engaged in an intense exchange of drone and missile attacks for a week, with unpredictable consequences.
What is noteworthy in this situation is the fact that, while Israeli missiles almost always hit their target, most Iranian missiles are intercepted in the air by Israel's advanced defense system composed of the Iron Dome and its complementary modules: the David's Sling and the Arrow 2 and 3 family of ballistic missiles.
This week, Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at various locations in Israel.
Iranian authorities have appointed Majid Khademi as the new head of intelligence for the Revolutionary Guard, following the deaths of the previous leader, Mohamed Kazemi, and his deputy, Hassan Mohaqeq.
“In the few years that our martyred generals Kazemi and Mohaqeq were in charge of IRGC intelligence, we witnessed very positive growth in all aspects of IRGC intelligence,” Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammad Pakpur said, according to the Iranian news agency IRNA.
Kazemi and Mohaqeq were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Tehran last Sunday, when an Israeli military attack on the headquarters of the Revolutionary Guard Intelligence, or Pasdaran, in the Iranian capital destroyed the premises.
Jademi's appointment as the new head of the Revolutionary Guard's intelligence follows that of Pakpur's own successor as commander of the corps' Ground Forces, Mohamed Karami, after the current Revolutionary Guard leader replaced his predecessor, Hosein Salami, who was also killed in an Israeli airstrike.
By BBC Mundo
In an exclusive interview with BBC journalist Lyse Doucet, Saeed Khatibzadeh said that if the US enters the war between Israel and Iran, there will be “hell in the whole region,” adding that if President Donald Trump decides to intervene directly in the conflict, he will be remembered for having participated in “a war that was not his . ”
Trump announced Thursday that he will decide within the next two weeks whether his country will become directly involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran, the White House reported.
More than 270 people were injured in Israel after Iran fired a series of missiles on Thursday, according to the Israeli Health Ministry.
Violence against children caught up in various conflicts reached "unprecedented levels" last year, with the highest number of rapes reported in Gaza and the West Bank, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Nigeria, and Haiti, according to a UN report released Thursday night.
Secretary-General António Guterres ’ annual report on Children in Armed Conflict detailed “a shocking 25% increase in grave violations” against children under 18 since 2023, when the number of such violations increased by 21%.
In 2024, the UN chief declared: “Children have borne the brunt of relentless hostilities and indiscriminate attacks, and have been affected by the disregard for ceasefires and peace agreements, and by deepening humanitarian crises.”
The United Nations verified 41,370 grave violations against children: 36,221 committed in 2024 and 5,149 committed earlier but verified last year. The violations include the murder, mutilation, recruitment and abduction of children, sexual violence against them, attacks on schools and hospitals, and denying young people access to humanitarian aid.
The UN kept Israeli forces on its blacklist of countries that violate children's rights for a second year, citing 7,188 verified grave violations committed by its military, including the killing of 1,259 Palestinian children and the injury of 941 more in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry has reported much higher figures, but the UN has strict criteria and noted that its verification process is ongoing.
Explosions were heard in the industrial town of Safidrood, near the northwestern Iranian city of Kolesh Taleshan , Al Jazeera reported. Israel had ordered people in the area to evacuate.
As reported by The Guardian via AFP reporters, amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, the Israeli state continues its offensive against Gaza and in the last 24 hours has killed 72 people , including 21 who had gathered near food distribution sites set up by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said there was a "window" to "reach a diplomatic solution" with Iran , following a meeting at the White House on Thursday with his US counterpart Marco Rubio.
Lammy met in Washington with Rubio and U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff , a day before traveling to Geneva to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi , along with his French, German and European Union counterparts.
"We discussed the need for Iran to sign an agreement to avoid escalating the conflict. There is now a window in the next two weeks to reach a diplomatic solution," Lammy said in a statement issued by the British Embassy in Washington after the talks, according to AFP .
The Salvadoran Public Ministry reported on Thursday that it handed over to Israeli authorities citizen Eluzur Rumpler, leader of the ultra-Orthodox group Lev Tahor, who is wanted in his home country for child abuse .
Rumpler was handed over to Israel on Wednesday, where he is charged with child abuse and violence against minors and the homeless , as well as violating the law, AP reported.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric today unequivocally condemned the escalation of military attacks between Israel and Iran and charged that "wars always end up being paid for by the innocent."
“Israel attacks Iran, Iran attacks Israel. Civilians are dying in Iran, civilians are dying in Israel. And civilians continue to die in Gaza. Today, an Iranian missile damaged a hospital in Israel and injured more than 40 people,” the president wrote on his X account.
Iran has appointed a new intelligence chief for the Revolutionary Guard Corps (Pasdaran) following the death of its predecessor in an Israeli attack last week.
Major General Mohammad Pakpour, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has appointed Brigadier General Majid Khadami as the new head of the intelligence division , IRNA reported.
Pakpour replaces Mohammed Kazemi , who was killed Sunday along with two other Revolutionary Guard officers, Hassan Mohaghegh and Mohsen Bagheri, in an Israeli attack.
The Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for people in the industrial zone of the Kalash village of Taleshan in northern Iran. It warned it would launch attacks against what it described as military infrastructure. "Their presence in this area puts their lives at risk," a military source told CNN .
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