US involvement in Israeli attacks on Iran would be “very, very dangerous”, Tehran’s foreign minister has said as he continues a round of diplomacy in Istanbul.
Abbas Araghchi, who yesterday met his British, French and German counterparts, said Iran “cannot” join further nuclear negotiations with the US while the Iranian people are “under bombardment”.
Tehran stands “absolutely ready for a negotiated solution for our nuclear programme”, he said. Negotiations with Washington have been halted since Israeli strikes last week sparked a deadly air conflict which has killed hundreds in Iran and dozens in Israel.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military says it has killed two commanders of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who were closely linked with arming Hamas and other militant groups in the region.
Saeed Izadi led the Palestine Corps of the Quds Force - the IRGC’s overseas arm. He has been described as a veteran figure in Iran’s military operations.
The military later said that it killed a second commander of the Guards' overseas arm, who it identified as Benham Shariyari. Israel says he was responsible for weapons transfers “from the Iranian regime to its proxies across the Middle East".
The IRGC has not confirmed the deaths.
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Key points
- US involvement in Iran would be 'very very dangerous', warns Tehran's foreign minister
- Israel says it killed two Iranian commanders linked to Palestinian armed groups
- Israel and Iran launch new attacks as tensions escalate over nuclear talks
- Two centrifuge production sites struck in Iran, Israeli official says
- Iran hit with magnitude 5.5 earthquake
Hope of change by my fellow Iranians has turned to horror - our pain was primed for Israel’s exploitation
12:34
,
Alex Croft
“When are the Americans coming to save us from these mullahs?” my fellow Iranians would ask when I started my journalism career in Tehran some 22 years ago.
That was just before the Middle East was transformed by the US’s reverse Midas touch.
Within a few years Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya had been reduced to rubble and ruin at the hands of US intervention.
So salvation from the clerics shrank to two options: reform from within or revolt. Iran’s hardline conservatives in charge would not abide either.
Author and documentary maker Ramita Navai writes:
In pictures: Israeli rescuers check damage in Beit She'an
12:13
,
Alex Croft
Iran updates official death toll to 430 - Iranian media
11:50
,
Alex Croft
Iran’s health ministry has now updated its casualty figures, according to Iranian media.
At least 430 people have been killed and 3,500 wounded in Iran since the conflict began on June 13, Iranian state-run Nour News reported Tehran’s health ministry as saying on Saturday.
Earlier reports by Washington-based group Human Rights Activists had suggested more than 600 people had died in Iran since the conflict began.
Who is Mohammad Saeed Izadi, the veteran commander Israel says it has killed?
11:28
,
Alex Croft
Israel says it has killed Mohammad Saeed Izadi, the veteran commander who served as the head of the Palestine Corps within Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Quds Force.
This was the IRGC’s overseas operations arm with ties to armed groups across the region.
He was believed to be a liaison between Iran and Hamas and played a role in co-ordinating support by Tehran for armed Palestinian groups.
Izadi reportedly helped arm Iran and Hamas - and Israel says he helped orchestrate an assault on Israel in assistance of Hamas’ 7 October attack.
Izadi was killed in an Israeli attack on an apartment in the city of Qom, coming more than a year after he narrowly survived an Israeli air strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, in April 2024, the BBC reported.
Sam Kiley: What Trump must decide in his two week pause on the Israel-Iran conflict
11:05
,
Alex Croft
Who was Behnam Shahriyari, Iranian commander who 'armed Hamas'?
10:44
,
Alex Croft
Our world affairs editor Sam Kiley is in Tel Aviv:
Israel claimed that it had killed the Iranian officer responsible for arming Hamas in Gaza.
The commander of the Quds Force's Weapons Transfer Unit (Unit 190) in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Behnam Shahriyari, was killed by the Israeli air force in an overnight strike against his vehicle the IDF said.
The attack shows the continued deep penetration of Israeli’s Mossad intelligence agency in Iran and was another assassination of a senior officer as part of a campaign to break the back of Iran’s security structures.
Shahriyari "worked for years to arm various terrorist organizations in order to directly advance the Iranian regime's plan to destroy the State of Israel” the IDF said.
Israel itself suffered not overnight casualties from a significantly lower level of Iranian missile and drone attacks which involved only five missiles - down from 23 the day before.
US involvement in Iran would be 'very very dangerous', warns Tehran's foreign minister
10:20
,
Alex Croft
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has said any US involvement in attacks on his country would be “very, very dangerous”.
Speaking to reporters in Istanbul, he said Iran “cannot” join negotiations with the US while the Iranian people are “under bombardment”.
Mr Araghchi met with European representatives on Friday, and on Saturday is due to meet with representatives from Arab and Muslim countries, according to Tasnim state news agency.
"The US has been involved in the aggression since day one,” he alleged according to the BBC, adding that direct involvement would be “very, very dangerous”.
Tehran stands “absolutely ready for a negotiated solution for our nuclear programme”, he said.
"Diplomacy has worked in the past and can work again in the future. In order for us to come back to diplomacy the aggression must be stopped."
Russia has told Israel there is no evidence Iran is seeking nuclear weapons, says Putin
10:00
,
Alex Croft
Russia has repeatedly told Israel that there is no evidence Iran is aiming to get nuclear weapons, president Vladimir Putin said according to Sky Arabia.
"Russia, as well as the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), has never had any evidence that Iran is preparing to obtain nuclear weapons, as we have repeatedly put the Israeli leadership on notice," the broadcaster quoted Putin as saying.
Russia is ready to support Iran in developing a peaceful nuclear programme, Putin said, adding that Iran has the right to do so.
Speaking at an economic forum in St. Petersburg on Friday, Putin said Russia was sharing its ideas on how to stop the bloodshed in the Iran-Israel conflict with both sides.
He did not give details of those ideas.
Two commanders including Quds force leader killed by Israel, military claims
09:37
,
Alex Croft
We earlier brought you the news that the Israeli military said it killed two commanders from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
One of the commanders, Saeed Izadi, led the Palestine Corps of the overseas arm, or Quds Force, foreign minister Israel Katz said in a statement.
The Quds Force built up a network of Arab allies known as the Axis of Resistance, establishing Hezbollah in Lebanon in 1982 and supporting the Palestinian militant Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Izadi has been described as a veteran figure in Iran’s military operations.
The military later said that it killed a second commander of the Guards' overseas arm, who it identified as Benham Shariyari, during a strike on his vehicle overnight in western Tehran.
It said the commander "was responsible for all weapons transfers from the Iranian regime to its proxies across the Middle East".
There was no confirmation from the IRGC on the killing of the two commanders.
Buried in a mountain and fortified against bombs: Inside Iran’s secret Fordow nuclear site out of Israel’s reach
09:15
,
Shahana Yasmin
Deep beneath the hills of central Iran, Tehran has ramped up its production of enriched uranium.
A recent report by the United Nations’ nuclear agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said they were “seriously concerned” about the “significantly increased production and accumulation of highly enriched uranium”.
Tom Watling reports
Here’s what happens next if Trump launches his attack plan on Iran: report
09:00
,
Joe Sommerlad
President Donald Trump continues to weigh up the prospect of joining Israel’s attack on Iran in an apparent attempt to prevent the Islamic Republic from developing a nuclear weapon.
Israel commenced its attack, dubbed Operation Rising Lion, six days ago, killing several of Tehran’s top military leaders in its first wave of airstrikes and going on to hit 1,100 targets.
Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio initially denied any U.S. involvement, with the president claiming to have advised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against taking military action, preferring to continue negotiations with Iran in neutral Oman.
Keep reading:
Lammy urges Iran to engage as Middle East crisis deepens
08:45
,
Shahana Yasmin
UK foreign secretary David Lammy has called the situation in the Middle East “perilous and deadly serious”, urging Iran to open talks with the US.
Lammy travelled to Geneva on Friday to join French and German counterparts for talks with Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to ease tensions.
The meeting followed US president Donald Trump’s announcement that he would delay a decision on joining Israeli strikes against Iran for up to two weeks.
“It is still clear to me, as President Trump indicated yesterday, that there is a window of within two weeks where we can see a diplomatic solution,” Lammy told reporters after the meeting.
“We have a window of time. This is perilous and deadly serious,” he said, urging Iran to “take that off ramp” and speak to the US.
Mr Araghchi dismissed the proposal, saying Iran would not negotiate while Israeli airstrikes continued, and reiterated that its nuclear programme was entirely peaceful.
Two centrifuge production sites struck in Iran, Israeli official says
08:31
,
Tara Cobham
Two centrifuge production sites were struck in Isfahan, Iran, overnight, an Israeli military official has said, according to Reuters.
Centrifuges are devices that enrich uranium. They can be used to make fuel for power plants as well as for nuclear weapons.
Israeli military says it has killed senior commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards
08:21
,
Tara Cobham
The Israeli military has said it has killed a senior commander in the Palestine corps of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ overseas arm.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards say five members killed in Israeli attacks, Iranian media report
08:13
,
Tara Cobham
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have said five of its members have been killed in Israeli attacks in Khorramabad on Saturday, according to Iranian media, Reuters reports.
Israel claims it has set back Iran's nuclear programme by 'at least two or three years'
08:09
,
Tara Cobham
Israel has claimed it has set back Iran’s suspected nuclear programme by “at least two or three years”.
The Israeli air force launched new airstrikes against missile storage as well as launch sites in central Iran, Israel said on Saturday, according to the Guardian, which cited Agence France-Presse reports.
Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar told the German newspaper Bild on Saturday: “According to the assessment we hear, we already delayed for at least two or three years the possibility for them to have a nuclear bomb.”
Iran hit with magnitude 5.5 earthquake
07:57
,
Tara Cobham
Iranian state-run media reported that a magnitude 5.5 earthquake rattled parts of Iran on Friday. The United States Geological Survey put the magnitude of the tremor at 5.1.
Authorities in Iran said the quake occurred at 9.19pm local time at a depth of 10 km (6 miles). Its epicenter was roughly 170 km (105 miles) to the east of Tehran, near Semnan province, which stretches from the slopes of the Alborz Mountains to the edge of the Iranian desert. The province is home to several important military and missile facilities.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties from the quake, which was considered moderate in strength.
Putin says Russia has repeatedly told Israel that Iran has no intentions of getting nuclear weapons, RIA reports
07:53
,
Tara Cobham
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia has repeatedly notified Israel that Iran has no alleged intentions of obtaining nuclear weapons, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported on Saturday, citing an interview with SkyNews Arabia.
Iran's internet blackout leaves public in dark and creates an uneven picture of the war with Israel
07:40
,
Associated Press
As the war between Israel and Iran hits the one-week mark, Iranians have spent nearly half of the conflict in a near-communication blackout, unable to connect not only with the outside world but also with their neighbors and loved ones across the country.
Civilians are left unaware of when and where Israel will strike next, despite Israeli forces issuing warnings through their Persian-language online channels. When the missiles land, disconnected phone and web services mean not knowing for hours or days if their family or friends are among the victims.
That’s left many scrambling on various social media apps to see what’s happening — again, only a glimpse of life able to reach the internet in a nation of over 80 million people.
Keep reading:
Netanyahu: I understand the true cost of war - my own son had to postpone his wedding
07:30
,
Tom Watling
Benjamin Netanyahu has sparked outrage after suggesting he understands the “personal cost” of Israel’s war with Iran - because his son had to postpone his wedding.
The Israeli prime minister made the remarks in a solemn address to TV cameras while standing in front of the ruins of a hospital in the southern city of Beersheba, hours after it was hit by Iranian missiles. Officials said at least 40 people were injured in the attack on Thursday.
“There are people who were killed, families who grieved loved ones, I really appreciate that,” Netanyahu said, comparing the attacks on Israel to the blitz in Britain during World War II.
Keep reading:
Watch: Russia's defence of Iran shows need to tighten sanctions, says Zelensky
07:20
,
Katie Hawkinson
07:10
,
Shahana Yasmin
Experts say Israel's current strikes on Iran's nuclear installations so far pose only limited risks of contamination, but warn any attack on the country's nuclear power station at Bushehr could cause a nuclear disaster.
Fears of a nuclear catastrophe rippled through the Gulf on Thursday after the Israeli military mistakenly announced a strike in Bushehr, home to Iran's only nuclear power station, only to say later that the announcement was a mistake.
UN nuclear watchdog urges restraint as Israel strikes nuclear-linked sites in Iran
07:00
,
Shahana Yasmin
The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog has warned against any military action targeting Iran’s nuclear reactors.
At an emergency UN Security Council meeting, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said: “I want to make it absolutely and completely clear: In case of an attack on the Bushehr nuclear power plant, a direct hit would result in a very high release of radioactivity to the environment. This is the nuclear site in Iran where the consequences could be most serious.”
So far, Israel has avoided targeting nuclear reactors, focusing instead on Iran’s Natanz enrichment site, centrifuge workshops near Tehran, and the Arak heavy water facility.
While initial reports indicated no damage at Arak, the IAEA later confirmed “key buildings at the facility were damaged,” though no radioactive material was present.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Fars news agency claimed Israel struck the Isfahan nuclear facility on Saturday, with no hazardous leaks reported.
Israel says it killed Quds Force commander leading Palestine Corps
06:47
,
Shahana Yasmin
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said on Saturday that the military had killed Saeed Izadi, a senior commander in Iran’s Quds Force, during a strike on an apartment in the city of Qom, according to Reuters.
Izadi, who led the Palestine Corps within the Quds Force, the overseas arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), was described as a veteran figure in Iran’s regional operations.
Who’s who in the secret group advising Trump on Iran - who has been left out of the planning?
06:30
,
Joe Sommerlad
President Donald Trump let it be known on Thursday that he will make a decision on whether to involve the U.S. in Israel’s war with Iran within the next two weeks, as tensions over the question continue to divide conservatives.
The president, who signed off on attack plans on Tuesday but resisted giving the go-ahead, is reportedly taking soundings from a small coterie of trusted advisers while also throwing the conversation open to fellow world leaders, as well as allies such as the hawkish Republican senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Tom Cotton of Arkansas.
Keep reading:
Israel vows to continue strikes until Iran’s nuclear programme is dismantled
06:20
,
Shahana Yasmin
Israel pledged on Friday to keep up its military offensive against Iran until Tehran’s nuclear capabilities are fully dismantled, Reuters reported.
“Though our homes, our families and our children are under threat, we will not stop,” Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon told the United Nations Security Council. “Not until Iran’s nuclear threat is dismantled. Not until its war machine is disarmed. Not until our people and yours are safe.”
In response, Iran’s ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, called on the Security Council to intervene to halt Israel’s attacks.
“Israel apparently declared that it will continue this strike for as many days as it takes,” he said. “We are alarmed by credible reports that the United States... may be joining this war.”
Iran faces near-total internet blackout amid conflict with Israel
06:10
,
Shahana Yasmin
As the war between Iran and Israel enters its second week, much of Iran remains in a near-total communication blackout, leaving millions unable to connect with the outside world or even with friends and family across the country.
According to internet monitoring group NetBlocks, Iran has been largely cut off from global internet access for more than 60 hours.
“The internet shutdown continues to severely limit the public's ability to express political viewpoints, communicate freely, and follow safety alerts amid ongoing conflict with Israel,” it said on X, formerly Twitter.
⚠️ Update: #Iran has now been largely offline for 60 hours; metrics show the internet shutdown continues to severely limit the public's ability to express political viewpoints, communicate freely, and follow safety alerts amid ongoing conflict with Israel ⏱️ pic.twitter.com/EkYtbTvkiY
— NetBlocks (@netblocks) June 21, 2025
Do Israeli attacks on Iran risk nuclear contamination?
06:00
,
Reuters
Ex-CIA chief warns US would trigger regional war by striking Iran
05:50
,
Shahana Yasmin
Former CIA director and defence secretary Leon Panetta has warned that any US military strike on Iran would almost certainly plunge the country into a wider regional war.
Panetta said the US made a “terrible mistake” by invading Iraq two decades ago and urged US president Trump to heed the lessons of the past.
“It’s a lesson that the president needs to learn, because if he goes in and attacks Iran, then there’s no question that the United States would be in a regional war at that point,” Panetta told CNN, adding that Iran would inevitably retaliate.
“So make no mistake about it. It may be an airstrike, but it would definitely involve the United States in a war.”
Iran signals openness to diplomacy, but only if Israel halts attacks
05:40
,
Shahana Yasmin
Iran has said it is open to pursuing diplomatic talks with European nations, but only on the condition that Israel ends its military operations and those responsible are held to account.
Following a meeting in Geneva with European diplomats, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi expressed “serious concern” over the failure of France, Germany, the UK, and the EU to condemn what he described as Israel’s surprise strike and ongoing aggression against Iran. He warned that any assault on Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities would represent a severe violation of international law.
“I explicitly and clearly stated that Iran's defensive capabilities are not negotiable,” the minister said, reported the Associated Press. However, he added that Iran is ready to keep talking with the Europeans “in the near future”.
His comments came as Israel’s top military commander said the country was preparing for a potentially prolonged conflict.
Iran says no radiation leak after Israel targets its Isfahan nuclear site
05:33
,
Shahana Yasmin
Israel targeted Iran’s nuclear facility in Isfahan, Reuters reported citing Iran’s Fars news agency, on Saturday.
The agency added that no hazardous material had leaked from the site.
