Israel-Iran attack HIGHLIGHTS: US shut its embassy in Jerusalem after minor damage reported caused by Iran strikes
Updates to this LIVE blog end here
The Iranian foreign ministry on Monday said that the Iranian parliament is preparing a bill to leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), adding that Tehran remains opposed to the development of weapons of mass destruction.
Earlier, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Iran did not intend to develop nuclear weapons but will pursue its right to nuclear energy and research, reiterating Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's religious edict against weapons of mass destruction.
Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a statement saying, "I would like to clarify the obvious: there is no intention to physically harm the residents of Tehran as the murderous dictator does against the residents of Israel."
He added that "The residents of Tehran will be forced to pay the price of dictatorship and evacuate their homes from areas where it will be necessary to attack regime targets and security infrastructure in Tehran."
"We will continue to protect the residents of Israel," he concluded.
Iranian missiles struck Israel's Tel Aviv and the port city of Haifa before dawn on Monday, killing at least eight people and destroying homes, prompting Israel's defence minister to warn that Tehran residents would "pay the price and soon".
Iran said its parliament was preparing a bill to leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), adding that Tehran remains opposed to developing weapons of mass destruction. Passing the bill could take several weeks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reiterated his "not an era of war" message in Cyprus amid the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.
#WATCH | In Cyprus, PM Modi says, "We expressed worry over the ongoing conflicts in West Asia and Europe. We believe this is not an era of war." pic.twitter.com/7JbYbQ39wY
— ANI (@ANI) June 16, 2025
"Sirens sounding in southern Israel following projectile fire from Yemen," the Israel Defence Force (IDF) said in a post on X.
"Sirens sounding in the Jordan Valley due to a hostile aircraft infiltration," IDF said in another post.
The powerful Iran-linked Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah on Sunday warned it will target U.S. interests and bases in the region if Washington intervenes in the hostilities between Israel and Iran.
Egypt's pound and the stock market plunged on Sunday as the conflict between Iran and Israel escalates. The pound slumped against the U.S. dollar, trading at over 50.60 in banks, down from about 49.8 last week.
Egypt’s EGX 30 Index plunged with all its stocks reported delicate. The benchmark fell over 7.5 per cent at the beginning of the day, but closed with losses at 4.6 per cent.
The Israeli media has reported that ahead of Israeli strikes, Iran was days away from creating nuclear bombs with scientists completing successful experiments in the weapon design process.
In response to New Delhi's request to allow evacuation of Indian nationals and provide them a safe passage, Iran said since it has shut its airspace down, students can use its land borders to cross into Azarbaijaan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.
A senior Iranian official has claimed that Pakistan would launch a nuclear strike on Israel if it uses nuclear weapons against Iran — a statement swiftly denied by Islamabad. However, Pakistan’s Defence Minister dismissed the claim, saying Islamabad had made no such commitment.
The United States has hut its embassy in Jerusalem after minor damage was reported from concussions caused by missile attacks launched by Iran, though no injuries to US personnel occurred. The US Ambassador to Israel said the embassy and consulate will remain officially closed today, as a shelter-in-place order is still in effect.
President Donald Trump vetoed an Israeli plan in recent days to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, two U.S. officials said. One senior administration official was quoted saying, "Have the Iranians killed an American yet? No. Until they do, we’re not even talking about going after the political leadership."
Iran has been targeting the northern Israel port city of Haifa. As Israel's defence system intercepted Iran's ballistic missiles, two hypersonic missiles reportedly hit Haifa, causing several injuries, according to Israel's public broadcaster Kan and British maritime security firm Ambrey.
Brigadier General Mohammad Kazemi, the intelligence chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and his deputy, General Hassan Mohaqiq, have been killed in Israeli airstrike on Tehran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with Fox News, saying, "Moments ago, I can tell you we got their chief intelligence officer and his deputy in Tehran."
With blasts reported just a few kilometres from student hostels and apartments, fear is mounting — and so is the plea to the Government of India: evacuate us before it’s too late. The Indian Embassy in Tehran, in a fresh public advisory, asked all Indian nationals and persons of Indian origin to stay indoors and keep monitoring official channels. “We request everyone in Iran to join the below given Telegram link to receive updates on the situation from the Embassy. Kindly note that this Telegram link is ONLY for those Indian nationals who are currently in Iran,” it said in a post on X.
The embassy has also issued emergency helplines for Indian nationals.
At least 128 people, including women and children, were killed in the Israeli attacks on Friday and Saturday, according to Iranian media, while 900 people were injured. A report by Etemad said the number of “martyred children is significant”.
Pakistan has passed a resolution while extending its support for Iran as Israel unleashed barrage of missiles on Middle Eastern country's nuclear program and its armed forces. Pakistan's defence minister, Khawaja Asif, said that all Muslim countries must unite against “Israeli aggression”
The Israeli military has struck a nuclear facility in Iran’s Isfahan, a military spokesperson said in a post on X on Sunday, Reuters reports.
Amid conflict with Israel, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that the latest Israeli assault on Iran was intended to “derail” nuclear discussions with the US, AFP reported.
“It is entirely clear that the Israeli regime does not want any agreement on the nuclear issue. It does not want negotiations and does not seek diplomacy,” Araghchi told foreign diplomats, calling the Friday strikes an “attempt to undermine diplomacy and derail negotiations”.
President Donald Trump on Sunday said that the US had "nothing to do" with the overnight attack on Iran, hours after Israel claimed an "extensive series of strikes" on the headquarters of the Iranian Defence Ministry and a nuclear project.
President Trump also warned Iran that the "full strength and might" of the American Armed Forces will "come down on you at levels never seen before" if it tries to attack the US.
138 Iranians killed in Israeli strikes: Among them 9 nuclear scientists; Israeli Defence Minister warns — 'If more missiles are fired, we will burn Tehran'
An Israeli military official stated on Saturday that Iran’s nuclear facilities in Esfahan and Natanz sustained significant damage following Israeli airstrikes. The revelation, reported by news agency Reuters, marks a critical escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two nations, targeting the core of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a stark warning, stating that Tehran will face severe consequences if Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei continues launching missile attacks on Israel's home front. "If the aggression doesn’t stop, Tehran will burn," Katz said, signaling a sharp escalation in rhetoric amid rising regional tensions.
According to an Israeli official, Iran launched around 200 ballistic missiles targeting Israel, executing the attack in four successive waves.
Blast reported in military base in Iran's Kermanshah province
Lebanon will continue to keep its airspace open despite heightened tensions in the region due to the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, according to the country’s Minister of Public Works and Transport, Fayez Rasamny.
Speaking on Saturday, Rasamny affirmed, “The airport will remain open unless circumstances arise beyond our control.” He also noted that Middle East Airlines, Lebanon’s national carrier, is set to increase its flight operations to accommodate delays and schedule adjustments.
This follows an earlier report by Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA), which quoted the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority announcing a temporary reopening of the country's airspace on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. local time (0700 GMT). The airspace is scheduled to close again from 10:30 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. on Sunday as a precautionary measure.
Iran has issued a warning to US, UK and France saying that it will target their military bases and naval assets in the region.
Pope Leo has urged both the nations to exercise restraint. He told an audience in St. Peter's Basilica he was following the situation with "great concern."
Iran arrested five people in the central city of Yazd for taking pictures and "collaborating with Israel"
Two deputy commanders of Iranian armed forces were killed in Israeli airstrikes moments after new military leadership was appointed.
Syrian airlines on Friday announced the temporary suspension of all flights until further notice. In a statement published on its Facebook page, the Syrian Airlines said that that decision comes out of concern for the safety of passengers and crews and as situation in the region is tense.
Flight RB444 from coming Istanbul would be diverted to Aleppo International Airport instead of Damascus International Airport.
The Ministry of External Affairs shared some emergency numbers of the embassy for Indian nationals and persons of Indian origin in Iran who need help amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.
The emergency contact details of the Embassy: 98 9128109115; 98 9128109109
"Indian nationals & persons of Indian origin in Iran who need help may contact the emergency numbers of the Embassy of India in Iran," the MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X.
In view of the escalating tensions in Middle East and closure of Iran airspace as a result, Air India has diverted several flights. The airline has issued a travel advisory for its passengers.
#TravelAdvisory
— Air India (@airindia) June 14, 2025
Due to the emerging situation in Iran and parts of the Middle East, the subsequent closure of airspace, and in view of the safety of our passengers, some of our flights are operating on alternative extended routes.
We are doing our best to minimise any…
Senior Iranian military officials said the country’s strikes against Israel will continue, as the offensive escalated on Saturday.
US President Donald Trump issued first statement after Israel bombed Iran. He said, "Two months ago I gave Iran a 60 day ultimatum to “make a deal.” They should have done it! Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!"
Following the assassination of top Iranian military leaders in Israel's strike, Iran's Commander-in-Chief Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, has announced major appointments to restructure the country's military leadership. According to Iranian state-run media IRNA, Major General Amir Hatami has been appointed as the Chief Commander of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Read more
Iran's envoy to the United Nations said that Israel's strikes have killed 78 people, including senior military officers, and injured more than 320, most of them civilians.
Israel's ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon addressed the UN Security Council and said that intelligence confirmed that within days Iran could have produced enough fissile material for multiple bombs. Strikes on Iran were an "act of national preservation" which it undertook alone.
Jordan reopened its airspace at 7:30 am, the civil aviation commission said, a day after it suspended flights amid Iran-Israel tensions.
Iran said on Friday the dialogue with the U.S. over Tehran's nuclear programme is "meaningless" after Israel's biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy, accusing Washington of supporting the attack. "The other side (the U.S.) acted in a way that makes dialogue meaningless. You cannot claim to negotiate and at the same time divide work by allowing the Zionist regime (Israel) to target Iran's territory," the semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi, in his statement to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Friday, confirmed that Israel's airstrikes on Iran's Natanz nuclear site caused internal radiological and chemical contamination.
Iran has accused the United States of being complicit in Israel's attacks on the Islamic Republic to which Washington denied, telling Tehran at the United Nations Security Council that it would "be wise" to negotiate over its nuclear programme
Israel's ambulance service said 34 people were injured on Friday night in the Tel Aviv area, most with minor injuries. Police later said one person had died.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged Israel and Iran to halt their attacks on one another, while calling for diplomacy.
“Israeli bombardment of Iranian nuclear sites. Iranian missile strikes in Tel Aviv. Enough escalation. Time to stop. Peace and diplomacy must prevail,” Guterres said in a post on X
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a telephone call from the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office stated.
Netanyahu briefed PM Modi on the recent developments and the evolving situation between Israel and Iran.
PM Modi shared India's concern and emphasised the need for early restoration of peace and stability in the region. The two leaders agreed to remain in touch, the statement added.
In a post on X, PM Modi shared the details of the call in the wake of Operation Rising Lion launched by Tel Aviv against Iran.
"Received a phone call from PM Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. He briefed me on the evolving situation. I shared India's concerns and emphasised the need for early restoration of peace and stability in the region."
Middle East tensions LIVE UPDATES: Iranian missiles and rockets hit Tel Aviv early Saturday, with blasts also reported in Jerusalem, as tensions between the Middle East’s two leading rivals intensified.
The renewed round of attacks followed Israel’s most extensive assault on Iran to date, which targeted nuclear sites, senior military officials, and vital infrastructure. In response, Iran launched missiles at Israeli cities, prompting further Israeli airstrikes that caused explosions in parts of Tehran.
Iran’s assault on Tel Aviv, dubbed “Operation True Promise,” killed one person and injured around 34 others, according to Israeli police and health authorities. In response, Israel launched strikes on Iran under “Operation Rising Sun,” which reportedly killed at least 78 people, mostly civilians, and left over 320 injured.
- With inputs from agencies
