A week into their war, Israel and Iran exchanged more strikes on Friday as new diplomatic efforts led by the Europeans took place in Geneva. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held several hours of talks with the European Union’s top diplomat and counterparts from the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
Afterwards, Britain’s foreign secretary said they were “keen to continue ongoing discussions and negotiations with Iran,” however the European ministers gave few details and took no questions.
Earlier Friday, thousands of people protested in Iran’s capital over the ongoing Israeli strikes, with one hard-line demonstrator telling The Associated Press: “How can we compromise with an enemy that breaches deals?”
Israel’s military says 25 fighter jets carried out airstrikes Friday morning targeting “missile storage and launch infrastructure components” in western Iran. In the Israeli city of Haifa, at least 19 people were wounded by an Iranian missile barrage.
A week of Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 657 people and wounded 2,037 others, the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists said Friday.
Chinese evacuation flight arrives in Beijing
An evacuation flight carrying 330 Chinese citizens returning from Iran has arrived at Beijing airport, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Saturday. The flight from Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, landed in Beijing on Friday evening, it said.
Li Chunlin, a deputy director general at China’s foreign ministry’s consular affairs department, told the broadcaster that some 2,000 Chinese citizens have been evacuated from Iran.
Chinese Ambassador to Israel Xiao Junzheng told state-run media outlet CGTN that about 400 Chinese citizens were also evacuated from Israel.
Arab foreign ministers hold an emergency meeting in Istanbul
Friday’s talks were held at Iraq’s request to discuss the regional repercussions of the Israel-Iran war, ahead of an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation meeting scheduled over the weekend.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told the gathering that “the great danger is not limited to Iran alone, but rather includes the entire region” and called for “taking practical steps to influence the positions of European countries and direct communication with the United States of America,” the state-run Iraqi News Agency reported.
Iraq’s top diplomat also warned that expansion of the conflict could lead to the targeting of energy facilities in the region and closure of the Strait of Hormuz, “which could lead to the loss of nearly five million barrels of oil per day to the markets.”
Trump says his past Iraq war criticism has little to do with Iran situation
“There were no weapons of mass destruction. I never thought there were. And that was somewhat pre-nuclear. You know, it was, it was a nuclear age, but nothing like it is today,” Trump said of his past criticism of the Bush administration.
Some have pointed to Trump’s past criticism of the U.S. invasion of Iraq as being at odds with his more aggressive stance toward Iran now.
The president also said his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was “wrong” when she told lawmakers in March that U.S. spy agencies believed Iran hadn’t made a decision to build a nuclear weapon.
Trump said he was skeptical that Iran wants nuclear power for civilian use.
“You’re sitting on one of the largest oil piles anywhere in the world,” he said. “It’s a little bit hard to see why you’d need that.”
Iran says Israel has attacked 5 hospitals, including 2 on Friday
Iran’s U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said hundreds of civilians have been killed, including at least two pregnant women and their unborn children, and thousands injured since Israel launched their large-scale attacks on June 13.
As examples, he said Israel on June 16 attacked the Hakim Children’s Hospital in Tehran, Farabi Rehabilitation Hospital in Kermanshah, the Iranian Red Crescent Society building and ambulances. He said physicians, patients and medical personnel have been killed and injured.
“These were not accidents,” Iravani told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on the escalating Israel-Iran war. “These were not ‘collateral damage.’ They were deliberate war crimes, acts of state terror, and examples of barbaric warfare.”
Iran says it’s open to European diplomacy but Israel must to stop the war first
In a statement following a meeting in Geneva with European diplomats, Iran’s foreign minister said his country is ready to consider diplomacy only if Israel halts its attacks and those responsible are held accountable.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghch expressed his “serious concern” over the failure of the three European countries and the EU to condemn Israel’s sneak attack and ongoing strikes on Iran. He said any attack on Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities would be a grave breach of international law.
“I explicitly and clearly stated that Iran’s defensive capabilities are not negotiable,” the minister said. However, he added that Iran is ready to keep talking with the Europeans “in the near future.”
His comments came as Israel’s top general said the country’s military was ready for a protracted conflict, and were reported by the Iranian state TV channel on the messaging app Telegram.
Thousands of Americans seek info on leaving Israel, Iran and the Palestinian territories
The U.S. State Department says more than 25,000 Americans have reached out to it for information in leaving Israel, the West Bank and Iran as the conflict escalates.
Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters on Friday that those people had sought “information and support” and “seeking guidance” on departing. She would not give a breakdown of where the queries had come from.
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem has said it is working on possible evacuation flights and ships for Americans wanting to leave Israel. However, with the exception of one government flight on Wednesday that took out a number of nonessential embassy staffers and family members, no such evacuations have been organized.
There are about 700,000 American citizens in Israel, the vast majority of whom are dual citizens who may not want to leave. There are several thousand Americans believed to be in Iran, most of them also dual citizens.
Europeans’ meeting with Iranian foreign minister yields hope of more talks
Britain’s foreign secretary said after several hours of talks Friday between top European diplomats and their Iranian counterparts that the Europeans are “keen to continue ongoing discussions and negotiations with Iran.”
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the Europeans were clear in talks in Geneva that Iran “cannot have a nuclear weapon.” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said that “very serious talks” were held Friday with Iran’s Abbas Araghchi.
The European ministers gave few details and took no questions.
Putin says Israel agreed not to harm Russian personnel at Iran’s nuclear plant
President Vladimir Putin said Friday that the Israeli and U.S. leaders had both agreed to keep Russian workers safe at the Bushehr power plant. The reactor on the Persian Gulf is fueled by uranium produced in Russia.
Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin rejected criticism that Moscow has abandoned its allies in Tehran. He stressed that Russia has close ties with both Iran and Israel, citing the large number of Russian speakers living in Israel and Moscow’s support for Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.
UN chief says the Israel-Iran war ‘could ignite a fire that no one can control’
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is calling this a “defining” moment for global peace “when the direction taken will shape not only the fate of nations, but potentially our collective future.”
He told the U.N. Security Council that Iran’s nuclear program remains the central question, and urged a return to serious negotiations to establish “a credible, comprehensive and verifiable solution.”
Germany flies dozens of citizens out of Israel
The 64 people were flown on two German military aircraft Friday evening, the foreign and defense ministries said, with a focus on families with children and other vulnerable people.
The flights were arranged quickly in coordination with Israeli authorities, Earlier in the week, 345 Germans were from home from Amman, Jordan, on commercial chartered flights.
UN nuclear watchdog can guarantee Iran will not develop nuclear weapons
U.N. nuclear chief Rafael Grossi told the U.N. Security Council the International Atomic Energy Agency can do this “through a watertight inspection system.”
He said elements for an agreement on reining in Iran’s nuclear program have been discussed.
Grossi called for “maximum restraint” on the Israel-Iran war, adding: “A diplomatic solution is within reach if the necessary political will is there.”
More on the Tehran Research Reactor
The Tehran Research Reactor is at the headquarters of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, the civilian body overseeing the country’s atomic program.
The U.S. actually provided Iran the reactor in 1967 as part of America’s “Atoms for Peace” program during the Cold War. It initially required highly enriched uranium but was later retrofitted to use low-enriched uranium over proliferation concerns
Attacking Iran’s nuclear reactors could trigger radiation leaks, UN watchdog says
U.N. nuclear chief Rafael Grossi on Friday warned against any potential attack on Iran’s only commercial nuclear power plant as well as a research reactor near Tehran, saying it could lead to radiation leaks with “severe consequences.”
The director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency spoke Friday at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council about the Israel-Iran conflict.
Even a hit that disabled the two lines supplying electrical power to the Bushehr plant “could cause its reactor core to melt, which could result in a high release of radioactivity to the environment,” Grossi said.
Grossi said Israeli attacks on nuclear sites at Natanz and Isfahan and at the Arak heavy water plant have so far not led to any radiological release.
He said an Israeli military official erroneously reported Thursday that Bushehr was hit by an airstrike, but Israel then retracted that claim. He said the confusion “underscored the vital need for clear and accurate communication.”
US Treasury targets alleged Houthi oil and goods shipment network
The U.S. on Friday said it has taken its single largest sanctions action to date against Yemen’s Houthi rebel group, a key Iranian ally, by imposing sanctions on four people, 12 entities, and two ships that Washington alleges import oil and other goods for the group.
Treasury’s Deputy Secretary Michael Faulkender said Friday’s action “underscores our commitment to disrupting the Houthis’ financial and shipping pipelines that enable their reckless behavior in the Red Sea and the surrounding region.”
The Houthis have launched missile and drone attacks against commercial and military ships in the Red Sea corridor as an effort to end Israel’s offensive in Gaza. They’ve also targeted Israel with long-range missiles.
At least 19 wounded in Israel by Iranian missile barrage
Rambam hospital in the port city of Haifa said it received 19 wounded people from the site of an Iranian missile strike. Two people had serious-to-moderate injuries and the rest were lightly hurt, the hospital said.
Switzerland says it is temporarily closing its embassy in Tehran
Switzerland says it’s closing the embassy in view of the “intensity of military operations” and the unstable situation on the ground. The government in Bern said Friday that all expatriate staff safely left Iran and will return to Tehran as soon as the situation allows.
Since Tehran and Washington don’t have diplomatic relations, Switzerland has looked out for America’s interests in Iran since the 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis. In its statement Friday, the Swiss government said it will continue to act as an intermediary transmitting communications “as and when both parties consider appropriate.”
Britain is withdrawing all UK staff from its Tehran embassy ‘as a precautionary measure’
The British Foreign Office said in a statement that “we take the protection of our staff and British nationals extremely seriously and we have long advised against all travel to Iran.”
The decision is based on the “current security situation” and not the anticipation that the war between Israel and Iran will escalate further, the statement said. It says the embassy in will operate remotely for the time being.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will decide within two weeks whether the U.S. will get directly involved.
Florida governor greets flight of evacuees from Israel
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was at Tampa International Airport on Friday morning to welcome a flight from Cyprus carrying around 160 people, including families and students, who had been stranded in Israel.
The state is working with partners, including Grey Bull Rescue, to facilitate the evacuations, flying more than 300 people on two flights and putting more than 1,100 on a passenger ferry, Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie said.
The focus is on bringing back Florida residents, but they’re not going to turn away fellow countrymen, DeSantis said at a news conference.
“It was not an easy voyage for these folks because they’re having to get on a cruise ship and they’re having to wait in Cyprus, and then all the things that go in between that, was difficult,” DeSantis said.
Britain working to provide charter flights to evacuate nationals
The British government says it is working with Israeli authorities to provide charter flights to evacuate U.K. nationals.
The U.K. says the flights will leave from Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv once airspace reopens. The number of flights will depend on demand.
Israel has closed the airport “until further notice” amid its week-old war with Iran, stranding tens of thousands of Israelis abroad, and moved the jets of the country’s three airlines to Cyprus.
Britain has evacuated family members of embassy staff from Israel but has not advised U.K. nationals in Israel and the Palestinian territories to leave the country.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that for those who want to leave, land routes out of Israel remain open and British staff will provide support, including transport to nearby airports for onward commercial flights.
Hezbollah supporters demonstrate in support of Iran
Hundreds of supporters of the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah gathered in Beirut’s southern suburbs after Friday afternoon prayers to demonstrate in support of Tehran in the ongoing Israel-Iran war.
Demonstrators carried the Iranian, Lebanese and Palestinian flags as well as that of Hezbollah, and chanted “death to America” and “death to Israel.” Some also chanted pledges of allegiance to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is revered as religious authority by many Shiite Muslims.
Hezbollah suffered severe losses in a war with Israel that ended with a US-brokered ceasefire in November and has so far remained on the sidelines the Iran-Israel war.
Macron says diplomats will offer to negotiate with Iran
French President Emmanuel Macron said European top diplomats will make a “comprehensive, diplomatic and technical offer of negotiation” to Iran in Geneva on Friday as a key response to the “threat” represented by Iran’s nuclear program.
“No one can seriously believe that this threat can be met with (Israel’s) current operations alone. Why? Because there are some plants that are highly protected and because today, no one knows exactly where’s the uranium enriched to 60%. So we need to regain control on (Iran’s nuclear) program through technical expertise and negotiation,” Macron said.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot will coordinate with U.K. and German counterparts in Geneva before they meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
“It’s absolutely essential to prioritize a return to substantial negotiations, including nuclear negotiations to move towards zero (uranium) enrichment, ballistic negotiations to limit Iran’s activities and capabilities and the financing of all terrorist groups and destabilization of the region that Iran has been carrying out for several years,” Macron insisted.
Macron also reiterated his call for Israel’s strikes on energy and civilian infrastructures and on civilian populations in Iran to be stopped. “There’s no justification for that,” he said.
Thousands demonstrate in Iraq to show support for Iran
Thousands of supporters of the influential Iraqi Shiite cleric and political leader Muqtada al-Sadr took to the streets on Friday in Sadr City, on the outskirts of Baghdad, in response to a call by al-Sadr to show support for Iran in its conflict with Israel.
The demonstration began after Friday prayers with protesters wearing white burial shrouds in a symbolic gesture of readiness to sacrifice. Some burned Israeli and U.S. flags.
The protest comes during escalating regional tensions. Iran-backed Iraqi militias have so far largely stayed out of the fray in the Israel-Iran war but have threatened to attack U.S. forces and interests in Iraq and the region if Washington launches direct attacks on Iran.
Israeli airstrikes in western Iran
Israel’s military said it carried out airstrikes Friday targeting the areas around Kermanshah and Tabriz in western Iran.
The military said 25 fighter jets struck “missile storage and launch infrastructure components” Friday morning. There had been reports of anti-aircraft fire in the areas.
Iran did not immediately acknowledge the losses, though it has not discussed the damage done so far to its military in the weeklong war.
Moscow is ‘extremely concerned’
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that Moscow is “extremely concerned” by the tensions in the Middle East. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the annual event designed to showcase Russia’s economic prowess and court investors, Peskov said the Middle East “right now is plunging into the abyss of instability and war.”
“And the war that we are witnessing is fraught with geographic expansion, the involvement of many participants and unpredictable consequences,” Peskov said. “We are not on the other side of the ocean, this region is directly on our border. And in addition to the fact that this situation inevitably has a negative impact on the global economy, on energy markets and so on, it is, of course, potentially dangerous for us.”
Peskov added “there is always hope and always a possibility for diplomatic efforts,” and stressed Moscow has “condemned the escalation of violence in the region” and called for a diplomatic settlement of the conflict. He noted, however, that “for now, Israel’s desire is to continue the hostilities, at least that is how they officially declare their intentions.”
Foreign minister says Iran not seeking negotiations during strikes
Iran’s foreign minister says his country is not seeking negotiations with anyone as long as Israel continues its strikes on Iran.
“In the current situation, as the Zionist regime’s attacks continue, we are not seeking negotiations with anyone,” said Abbas Araghchi during an interview aired Friday by Iranian state television.
He added: “I believe that as a result of this resistance (by Iran), we will gradually see countries distancing themselves from the aggression carried out by the regime, and calls for ending this war have already begun, and they will only grow stronger.”
Spain says citizens evacuated safely
Spanish citizens who requested to be evacuated from Iran landed safely in Armenia, Spain’s Foreign Minister José Albares said Thursday night.
They would soon be flown to Spain, Albares said on X.
Israeli airstrikes reach into the city of Rasht
Israeli airstrikes reached into the Iranian city of Rasht on the Caspian Sea early Friday, Iranian media reported. Social media video posted online appeared to show explosions around the city. The semiofficial Fars news agency reported local air defense systems were firing into the night sky against the Israelis.
Ahead of the strikes, the Israeli military put out a warning urging the public to flee the area around Rasht’s Industrial City, which sits a few kilometers (miles) southwest of the city’s downtown.
The Israelis did not immediately describe what they sought to destroy in the area. However, with Iran’s internet being shut off to the outside world, it was unclear how many people in Iran would be able to see the message.
French foreign minister speaks to US secretary of state
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot spoke by phone with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday evening.
A French diplomatic official said Barrot detailed the purposes of the Geneva meeting and Rubio “stressed the U.S. was ready for direct contact with the Iranians at any time.”
The official, who was not allowed to speak publicly on the issue, said they “jointly stressed the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program to Israel, the region and Europe.” (AP)
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