Israel has launched fresh strikes against Iran in a third round of attacks over the last day as US President Donald Trump warns next week will be “very big” for the conflict.
The Israeli military said it is launching a series of strikes near Tehran and other areas of Iran early Thursday, CNN reports. Israeli officials told people to evacuate the area around Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor around 5 a.m. local time, according to the Associated Press.
Israeli officials said Wednesday that troops launched "three major waves of strikes" against Iran over 24 hours.
Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 639 people, the Associated Press reports, citing a report from the Washington-based nonprofit Human Rights Activists. The strikes are estimated to have wounded an additional 1,329 people, the nonprofit said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Trump warned next week could be “very big” for the conflict. He noted the US would not tolerate Iran having a nuclear weapon.
“This is just not a threat you can have. And we've been threatened by Iran for many years,” he said.
Israel and Iran have exchanged missile attacks for nearly a week after tensions escalated last Friday. Hundreds of people have died in Iran and dozens in Israel as a result.
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Trump isn’t just burning his MAGA coalition over Iran — he’s inspiring a new one to rise against him
Key points
- Israel launches fresh strikes on Iran
- Trump says 'I may do it, I may not' on US bombing Iran
- Iran leader threatens 'serious, irreparable consequences' to US intervention
- UK removes family members of foreign office staff in Israel
- Israel attacks centrifuge production site in Tehran
Israeli strikes kill 640 Iranians - report
04:16
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
At least 639 Iranians have died in Israel's week-long attack on Iran, a Washington-based human rights group has said.
Of those killed, at least 263 were civilians, Human Rights Activists said, adding that about 1,329 people sustained injuries in Israeli strikes.
Human Rights Activists, which also provided detailed casualty figures during the 2022 protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, cross-checks local reports in Iran against a network of sources it has developed in the country.
Israel warns Iranians near Arak heavy water reactor to evacuate
04:07
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israel's military warned people today to evacuate the area around Iran's Arak heavy water reactor.
In a post on X, the military shared a satellite image of the plant in a red circle like other warnings that preceded strikes.
Israel's seventh day of airstrikes on Iran came a day after Iran's supreme leader rejected US calls for surrender and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause "irreparable damage to them".
Israel also lifted some restrictions on daily life, suggesting the missile threat from Iran on its territory was easing.
United Nations leader calls for de-escalation
03:30
,
Katie Hawkinson
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged de-escalation in the Iran-Israel conflict and issued a warning to any other countries looking to intervene.
“Any additional military interventions could have enormous consequences, not only for those involved but for the whole region and for international peace and security at large,” he said.
“Diplomacy remains the best and only way to address concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear program and regional security issues,” he added.
New poll finds 45 percent of Americans oppose U.S. attack against Iran
03:07
,
Katie Hawkinson
A new poll by The Washington Post reveals 45 percent of Americans oppose potential U.S. airstrikes against Iran, while 25 percent support the idea and 30 percent are unsure.
The Post polled 1,000 Americans who also gave brief statements explaining their stances.
A 62-year-old Nevada Republican who supports a potential U.S. strike on Iran told the Post that the U.S. “cannot allow Iran to have nukes.”
“Israel is our friend, Iran is the main sponsor of terrorism,” the woman added.
A 74-year-old Washington Republican who is opposed to a potential strike said she hopes President Donald Trump’s administration will “continue negotiations and alternatives before the U.S. bombs Iran and starts a World War III.”
Israel warns people to evacuate area of Iran's Arak reactor
02:44
,
Katie Hawkinson
Israeli officials are ordering people to evacuate from the area around Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor, located in the country’s northeast, according to the Associated Press.
The plant was built to produce heavy water, which is used in nuclear reactors.
Israel currently conducting strikes on Tehran
02:39
,
Katie Hawkinson
The Israeli Air Force is currently conducting “a series of strikes” around Iran’s capital, Tehran, CNN reports.
This comes after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that air defense systems over Tehran have been activated.
Israeli strikes kill at least 639 people in Iran: report
02:04
,
Katie Hawkinson
Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 639 people, the Associated Press reports.
The AP cited a report from the Washington-based nonprofit Human Rights Activists.
The strikes are estimated to have wounded an additional 1,329 people, the nonprofit said.
Tehran air defense systems activated
01:57
,
Katie Hawkinson
Air defense systems over Tehran have been activated, CNN reports, citing an announcement from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued minutes ago.
Trump says ‘nobody knows what I’m going to do’ about Iran as he warns ‘the next week will be big’
01:44
,
Katie Hawkinson
President Donald Trump said he is still considering whether to allow American bombers to strike an Iranian underground nuclear facility in support of Israel’s effort to cripple the Islamic Republic’s long-running nuclear weapons program.
Catch up on Trump’s comments from The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg:
Iran's nuclear program could be set back months by Israeli attacks: report
01:01
,
Katie Hawkinson
Iran’s nuclear program may have been set back months because of Israel’s airstrikes, NBC News reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
On Wednesday evening, the Israeli military said it had launched "three major waves of strikes" against Iran in the last 24 hours with the latest attack starting “just a short while ago.”
Senate Democrats emphasize need for Congressional involvement
Thursday 19 June 2025 00:25
,
Katie Hawkinson
Senate Democrats, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and leading Democrats on the Intelligence, Armed Services, and Appropriations committees, have penned a statement emphasizing the need for Congressional involvement in any potential conflict with Iran.
“By law, the president must consult Congress and seek authorization if he is considering taking the country to war. He owes Congress and the American people a strategy for U.S. engagement in the region,” the lawmakers wrote.
“We need a clear, detailed plan outlining the goals, risks, cost, and timeline for any proposed mission, as well as how he will ensure the safe evacuation of Americans in harm’s way all across the region,” they continued.
The Senators added that they “urge President Trump to prioritize diplomacy and pursue a binding agreement that can prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.”
Putin says he doesn't want to discuss potential assassination of Iran's supreme leader
Wednesday 18 June 2025 23:45
,
Alexander Butler
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that he "doesn't even want to discuss" the potential assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei by Israel or the United States.
Putin was answering a question at a meeting of senior editors from various media organisations on the sidelines of an economic forum.
Asked if Russia was ready to provide Iran with modern weapons to defend itself against Israeli strikes, Putin said a strategic partnership treaty signed with Tehran in January did not envisage military cooperation.
UK 'working around clock' to protect British in Middle East
Wednesday 18 June 2025 23:40
,
Alexander Butler
Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer said: "Our first job is to keep British nationals safe, and our dedicated teams in the region are working around the clock to do this.
"We are asking all British nationals in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories to register their presence so that we can share our updates with them and make sure we're giving them the best advice possible."
Trump approved Iran attack plans, say reports
Wednesday 18 June 2025 23:30
,
Alexander Butler
US president Donald Trump has approved plans for attacks on Iran but has withheld the final order for them to go ahead, according to the Wall Street Journal.
At the Pentagon, officials said the administration was considering options for conducting an attack on Iran but the president hadn’t given a final order, the newspaper reported.
Getting Britons out of Israel must be UK priority, says opposition MP
Wednesday 18 June 2025 23:00
,
Alexander Butler
UK shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said the government should prioritise getting British nationals out of Israel.
"They should... have a plan to evacuate British nationals in Israel.
"And of course, this is an area where we've not heard much from the government, and I know many MPs have been contacted by relatives, concerned people, loved ones, about their family members in Israel."
She added: "I personally think right now that has to be the priority of the government - to get British nationals out of Israel and also to work with the government of Israel to do that - while obviously working through wider implications because we have a lot of equities, security and military equities, in the Middle East."
Life inside Iran: How war reduced bustling Tehran to a desert of empty streets and boarded-up shops
Wednesday 18 June 2025 22:37
,
Alexander Butler
Watch: Iran's UN ambassador warns Trump not to ‘cross red line’
Wednesday 18 June 2025 22:00
,
Alexander Butler
Lammy to visit Washington for talks with Rubio
Wednesday 18 June 2025 21:59
,
Alexander Butler
David Lammy is travelling to Washington for talks with his US counterpart Marco Rubio.
The Foreign Secretary will meet with the US secretary of state after President Donald Trump said he was considering whether to join Israeli strikes against Iran.
US senators to receive classified Iran briefing, aide to Senator Schumer says
Wednesday 18 June 2025 21:30
,
Alexander Butler
US senators will receive a classified briefing on Iran early next week, an aide to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday, as Iran and Israel in recent days have ratcheted up their military attacks on each other.
Earlier, Schumer told reporters that he had requested such a briefing from the Trump administration.
This comes as President Donald Trump on Wednesday declined to say if he had made any decision on whether to join Israel's bombing campaign against Iran.
Israel launches fresh strikes on Iran
Wednesday 18 June 2025 21:14
,
Alexander Butler
Israel has launched fresh strikes against Iran in a third round of attacks over the last day as US president Donald Trump warned next week would be “very big” for the conflict.
The Israeli military said on Wednesday evening it had launched "three major waves of strikes" against Iran in the last 24 hours with the latest one starting “just a short while ago”.
The first wave happened overnight with Israeli fighter jets striking “about 40 targets” in Tehran, according to the Israeli military.
The second started on Wednesday afternoon, with around 20 military targets hit in and around Tehran, the military added.
Getting Britons out of Israel must be UK priority, says opposition MP
Wednesday 18 June 2025 20:40
,
Jane Dalton
UK shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said the government should prioritise getting British nationals out of Israel.
"They should... have a plan to evacuate British nationals in Israel.
"And of course, this is an area where we've not heard much from the government, and I know many MPs have been contacted by relatives, concerned people, loved ones, about their family members in Israel."
She added: "I personally think right now that has to be the priority of the government - to get British nationals out of Israel and also to work with the government of Israel to do that - while obviously working through wider implications because we have a lot of equities, security and military equities, in the Middle East."
Trump says he has not made a final decision yet on Iran
Wednesday 18 June 2025 20:28
,
Alexander Butler
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he has not made a decision on how to proceed on Iran and that he will hold a meeting later in the day in the White House Situation Room.
Trump said Iran wants to meet and the US side "may do that."
He said Israel is doing well in its attacks aimed at dismantling Iran's nuclear facilities. Trump said he believed that Iran was close to developing a nuclear weapon before the attacks began.
Iran just weeks from nuclear weapon, Trump says
Wednesday 18 June 2025 20:24
,
Jane Dalton
US leader Donald Trump says he thinks Iran was only a few weeks away from having a nuclear weapon.
“I've been saying for 20 years, maybe longer, that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. I've been saying it for a long time, and I think they were a few weeks away from having one,” he said.
“Iran, can't have a nuclear weapon. Too much devastation, and they'd use it you know I believe they'd use it. Others won't use it, but I believe they'd use it.
Trump: Iran wants to meet
Wednesday 18 June 2025 20:22
,
Jane Dalton
President Trump says there will be a meeting in about an hour on the Israel-Iran situation, although he did not say between whom.
He said Iran wanted to meet, adding “may do that”.
Iran summons Swiss and German ambassadors
Wednesday 18 June 2025 20:20
,
Jane Dalton
Iran has summoned the Swiss envoy in Tehran as a representative of the US in the country to protest against US president Donald Trump's "provocative" remarks, Iranian media say.
It also summoned the German ambassador to protest at what it said were chancellor Friedrich Merz’s “offensive” remarks.
Mr Merz used a dismissive term for the Islamic Republic, saying: "There is apparently no decision yet by the American government; it very much depends on how far the mullah regime is prepared to return to the negotiating table."
Mr Trump earlier demanded Iran's "unconditional surrender."
Iran's UN ambassador warns Trump not to ‘cross red line’v
Wednesday 18 June 2025 20:00
,
Alexander Butler
How has Iran managed to breach Israel’s Iron Dome?
Wednesday 18 June 2025 19:44
,
Alexander Butler
The Iron Dome is a surface-to-air missile system that tracks and intercepts projectiles headed towards populated areas in Israel.
Its success at repelling attacks in the recent past has meant Israelis are not used to seeing rockets successfully strike their major cities.
Israeli officials have long accepted that the Iron Dome is not 100 per cent effective.
But how exactly did Iranian missiles manage to breach the world-famous air defense system? Find out here:
We will do whatever necessary if US involved, says Iranian minister
Wednesday 18 June 2025 19:30
,
Jane Dalton
If America involves itself in the Iran-Israel conflict, Tehran “will do whatever is necessary” to protect its people and interests, the Iranian deputy foreign minister says.
Majid Takht Ravanchi said Iran’s hands would not be tied.
The US had been collaborating with Israel, he told CNN, “although they’ve said they will not have anything to do with this conflict, which is not true”.
He said: “But if they decide to be engaged militarily and have direct military involvement in this massacre, we will do whatever is necessary to protect ourselves.”
Has Israel done any damage to Iran's uraniam stockpile?
Wednesday 18 June 2025 19:15
,
Alexander Butler
Iran has a large stock of uranium enriched to different levels.
As of May 17, Iran was estimated to have enough uranium enriched to up to 60 per cent for it to make nine nuclear weapons, according to an IAEA yardstick.
At lower enrichment levels it has enough for more bombs, though it would take more effort: enough enriched to up to 20 per cent for two more, and enough enriched to up to 5 per cent for 11 more.
Much of Iran's most highly enriched uranium stockpile is stored underground at Isfahan under IAEA seal, officials have said. The IAEA does not report where it is stored.
Grossi said in his BBC interview Isfahan's underground spaces "do not seem to have been affected", but the IAEA has already walked back a similar assessment - of the underground plant at Natanz, saying on Monday that high-resolution satellite imagery indicated there had been direct hits.
Pictured: Drone blown out of sky in Iran
Wednesday 18 June 2025 19:00
,
Alexander Butler
Why two of the world’s most powerful spy agencies disagree on Iran’s nuclear capabilities
Wednesday 18 June 2025 18:29
,
Alexander Butler
Iran to impose temporary restrictions on internet access, ministry says
Wednesday 18 June 2025 18:14
,
Alexander Butler
Iran is set to impose temporary restrictions on internet access, the communications ministry said in a statement relayed by Iranian media on Wednesday, as the country continues to exchange missiles with Israel.
The statement said the move was to prevent "the enemy from threatening citizens' lives and property".
Trump says ‘nobody knows what I’m going to do’ about Iran as he warns ‘the next week will be big’
Wednesday 18 June 2025 17:45
,
Alexander Butler
Watch: Aid minister says situation in Gaza is so dire that she ‘would loot too’
Wednesday 18 June 2025 17:26
,
Alexander Butler
Bunker buster bombs: The American weapon which could spell the end of Iran’s nuclear sites
Wednesday 18 June 2025 17:00
,
Alexander Butler
By dragging the US into Iran, Trump risks giving Tehran the final showdown it wants
Wednesday 18 June 2025 16:44
,
Alexander Butler
US working to evacuate citizens from Israel, ambassador says
Wednesday 18 June 2025 16:39
,
Alexander Butler
The United States is working to evacuate US citizens from Israel by arranging flights and cruise ship departures, US ambassador Mike Huckabee said in a post on X on Wednesday.
The US embassy in Jerusalem was working on the evacuation arrangements, he said, urging Americans in the country to sign up for updates through the State Department's Smart Traveler program.
Thousands of Britons stuck in Israel register with UK government
Wednesday 18 June 2025 16:22
,
Tom Watling
In response to the escalating crisis in the region, the UK government has been encouraging Britons in Israel to register with them.
It is understood that those figures have now reached the low thousands, though not everyone will have signed up.
At the same time, efforts are underway to encourage commercial airlines to provide enough seats for those who want to leave Israel via flights out of Jordan.
Jordan is still accessible by road from Israel, and the numbers crossing the border a day are thought to be in the low three figures.
Is this Trump’s WMD moment? President overrules intelligence agencies on Iran to justify war
Wednesday 18 June 2025 15:43
,
Tom Watling
George W. Bush and his administration of neocons spent years building a spurious case for the war in Iraq. They collated sketchy intelligence about supposedly hidden weapons of mass destruction, fed it to a pliant press, went through the motions of seeking United Nations resolutions and formed a ramshackle coalition of the willing before going to war.
It took Donald Trump all of five seconds to create his own WMD scandal when on Air Force One Tuesday morning he rebuked his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, for sharing a U.S. intelligence assessment that Iran was not seeking a nuclear weapon.
Trump won't say if US will strike Iran, but says it's 'late to be talking'
Wednesday 18 June 2025 15:23
,
Tom Watling
President Donald Trump on Wednesday declined to answer reporters' questions on whether the US was planning to strike Iran or its nuclear facilities, and said the Iranians had reached out but he feels “it's very late to be talking”.
“There's a big difference between now and a week ago,” Trump told reporters outside the White House. “Nobody knows what I'm going to do.”
Trump said that Iran had proposed to come for talks at the White House. He did not provide details. He described Iran as totally defenceless, with no air defence whatsoever.
How US and Israeli intelligence assessments of Iran’s nuclear capabilities differ
Wednesday 18 June 2025 15:02
The conflict between Israel and Iran has now entered its sixth day and reports suggest the US may join Israel’s attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.
At least 224 people have been killed in Iran and 24 in Israel after the IDF launched a series of attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites and its capital Tehran last Friday.
Iran has not been regularly updating its death toll, but Washington-based group Human Rights Activists said at least 585 people have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded as of Wednesday.
Pictured: Iranian supreme leader gives televised address
Wednesday 18 June 2025 14:44
,
Alex Croft
Has Israel done any damage to Iran's uraniam stockpile?
Wednesday 18 June 2025 14:31
,
Alex Croft
Iran has a large stock of uranium enriched to different levels.
As of May 17, Iran was estimated to have enough uranium enriched to up to 60 per cent for it to make nine nuclear weapons, according to an IAEA yardstick.
At lower enrichment levels it has enough for more bombs, though it would take more effort: enough enriched to up to 20 per cent for two more, and enough enriched to up to 5 per cent for 11 more.
Much of Iran's most highly enriched uranium stockpile is stored underground at Isfahan under IAEA seal, officials have said. The IAEA does not report where it is stored.
Grossi said in his BBC interview Isfahan's underground spaces "do not seem to have been affected", but the IAEA has already walked back a similar assessment - of the underground plant at Natanz, saying on Monday that high-resolution satellite imagery indicated there had been direct hits.
How has Iran managed to breach Israel’s Iron Dome?
Wednesday 18 June 2025 14:15
,
Alex Croft
The Iron Dome is a surface-to-air missile system that tracks and intercepts projectiles headed towards populated areas in Israel.
Its success at repelling attacks in the recent past has meant Israelis are not used to seeing rockets successfully strike their major cities.
Israeli officials have long accepted that the Iron Dome is not 100 per cent effective.
But how exactly did Iranian missiles manage to breach the world-famous air defense system? Find out here:
Russia and US in contact over Iran-Israel conflict, says Moscow
Wednesday 18 June 2025 14:01
,
Alex Croft
Russia and the United States are in contact regarding the conflict between Iran and Israel, Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday according to the Interfax news agency.
Mr Ryabkov earlier warned that direct US military assistance to Israel could radically destabilise the situation in the Middle East, where an air war between Iran and Israel has raged for six days.
At least 140 Palestinians killed in Gaza in past 24 hours, say health officials
Wednesday 18 June 2025 13:47
,
Alex Croft
Israeli gunfire and strikes killed at least 140 people across Gaza in the past 24 hours, local health officials said, as global attention shifts to the air war between Israel and Iran.
At least 40 of the total number killed in the past day died as a result of Israeli gunfire and airstrikes on Wednesday, Gaza's health ministry said. The deaths included the latest in near daily killings of Palestinians seeking aid in the three weeks since Israel partially lifted a total blockade on the territory.
Medics said separate airstrikes on homes in the Maghazi refugee camp, the Zeitoun neighbourhood and Gaza City in central and northern Gaza killed at least 21 people, while five others were killed in an airstrike on an encampment in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
Fourteen more people were killed in Israeli fire at crowds of displaced Palestinians awaiting aid trucks brought in by the United Nations along the Salahuddin road in central Gaza, medics said.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was looking into the reported deaths of people waiting for food. Gaza's health ministry said 397 Palestinians among those trying to get food aid had been killed and more than 3,000 wounded since aid deliveries restarted in late May.
Starmer to chair an emergency Cobr meeting on Iran-Israel this afternoon
Wednesday 18 June 2025 13:33
,
Alex Croft
Our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer is due to chair a Cobra meeting on the Middle East this afternoon, the Independent understands.
It comes after the UK withdrew the family members of staff who work at the embassy and consulate in Israel because of the ongoing conflict.
But British nationals in Israel are being advised to follow local advice to stay near shelter.
German minister to Iran: never too late to negotiate
Wednesday 18 June 2025 13:15
,
Tom Watling
Germany's foreign minister appealed to Iran's leaders to make credible assurances that it is not seeking a nuclear weapon and to show it is willing to find a negotiated solution, as fears mount of further military escalation between Iran and Israel.
“We are still ready to negotiate a solution. However, Iran must act urgently ... it is never too late to come to the negotiating table if one comes with sincere intentions,” Johann Wadephul said at a news conference with his Jo
