Iran-Israel conflict LIVE: Iran warns US, UK, France against blocking strikes on Israel
Israel's ongoing airstrikes and intelligence operation and Iran's retaliation raised concerns about all-out war between the countries
Iran announced on Saturday (June 14) that planned nuclear talks with the United States have become "meaningless" in the wake of an Israeli military attack on Iranian territory.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, quoted by a news agency, said, "The other side (the US) 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."
Baghaei further asserted that Israel's strikes constituted a "criminal act" and had crossed all of Iran's "red lines."
The sixth round of US-Iran nuclear talks was scheduled for Sunday in Muscat, but it remains uncertain if they will proceed following the Israeli strikes.
Earlier, Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes on Israel into Saturday morning, killing at least two people and wounding others, after a series of blistering Israeli attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear programme and its armed forces.
Israel's assault used warplanes, as well as drones smuggled into the country in advance, to assault key facilities and kill top generals and scientists.
Israel asserted the barrage was necessary before Iran got any closer to building an atomic weapon, although experts and the U.S. government have assessed that Tehran was not actively working on such a weapon before the strikes. It also threw talks between the United States and Iran over an atomic accord into disarray days before the two sides were set to meet Sunday.
Iran retaliated by launching drones and later firing waves of ballistic missiles at Israel, where explosions lit the night skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and shook the buildings below. The Israeli military urged civilians, already rattled by the raging Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, to head to shelter for hours.
78 killed, over 300 injured
Iranian missiles strike Israel Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a recorded message Friday: “We will not allow them to escape safely from this great crime they committed.” Iran's UN ambassador said 78 people were killed and more than 320 wounded in Israeli attacks.
Iran launched waves of missiles at Israel late Friday and early Saturday.
A hospital in Tel Aviv treated seven people wounded in the second Iranian barrage; all but one of them had light injuries. Israel's Fire and Rescue Services said they were injured when a projectile hit a building in the city.
Hours later, an Iranian missile struck near homes in the central Israeli city of Rishon Lezion, killing two people and injuring 19, according to Israel's paramedic service Magen David Adom. Israel's Fire and Rescue service said four homes were severely damaged.
Meanwhile, the sound of explosions and Iranian air defence systems firing at targets echoed across central Tehran shortly after midnight on Saturday. An Associated Press journalist could hear air raid sirens near their home.
Iran's semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported a fire at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport, with a video posted on X of a column of smoke and orange flames rising from what the outlet said was the airport.
Israel's paramedic services said 34 people were wounded in the barrage on the Tel Aviv area, including a woman who was critically injured after being trapped under rubble. In Ramat Gan, east of Tel Aviv, an AP journalist saw burned-out cars and at least three damaged houses, including one where the front was nearly entirely torn away.
US ground-based air defence systems in the region were helping to shoot down Iranian missiles, said a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the measures.
Strikes raise fears of all-out war
Israel's ongoing airstrikes and intelligence operation and Iran's retaliation raised concerns about all-out war between the countries and propelled the region, already on edge, into even greater upheaval.
Countries in the region condemned Israel's attack, while leaders around the globe called for immediate deescalation from both sides.
Also Read: Why India-Pak truce brings little cheer as uncertainty looms large
Live Updates
- 14 Jun 2025 7:56 PM IST
Pakistan backs Iran, urges 'Muslim unity against Israel'
Islamabad has voiced full support for Iran in the wake of Israeli attacks, with Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif calling for “Muslim unity against Israel” during an address in the national assembly.
“We stand with Iran and will support them at every international forum to protect their interests,” Asif said. He warned that Israel’s targeting of Iran, Yemen, and Palestine is a threat to all Muslim nations, urging them to “immediately cut ties with Israel” and calling for an urgent session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to draft a collective response.
Asif also reaffirmed Islamabad’s close ties with Tehran, saying Pakistan “stands by Iran in this difficult time.” Echoing the sentiment, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar condemned the Israeli strikes as “a brazen violation of Iran’s sovereignty.” The two countries share a 750-km border along southwestern Pakistan and southeastern Iran.
- 14 Jun 2025 7:55 PM IST
Elon Musk activates Starlink for Iran amid Internet blackouts
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has confirmed the activation of Starlink satellite internet services for Iran, offering a potential lifeline for connectivity as the country grapples with severe internet restrictions amid ongoing unrest.
The Iranian government imposed widespread online curbs following a series of Israeli strikes targeting its military infrastructure. On Friday, Iran’s communications ministry acknowledged the restrictions, stating they were “temporary” and would be lifted once the situation stabilizes.
The move by Musk comes as protests intensify and access to social media and independent information remains tightly controlled across the country.
- 14 Jun 2025 7:53 PM IST
Israeli hospitals move patients underground amid fear of more Iranian strikes
Medical teams at Sheba Medical Facility, near Tel Aviv, have begun relocating patients to fortified underground areas as Israel braces for further Iranian missile strikes, according to a report by CNN.
Video footage showed patients being moved alongside essential equipment and medical supplies. The hospital confirmed it had treated dozens of people injured in Iran’s overnight retaliation, many with shrapnel wounds.
Hospitals nationwide are taking similar steps to shield vulnerable patients, following Iran’s large-scale counter-strike launched in response to Israel’s deadly assault on key Iranian nuclear and military sites Friday, which killed several top commanders.
- 14 Jun 2025 7:51 PM IST
Indian mission in Tel Aviv establishes 24x7 helpline following Israel-Iran conflict
The Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv on Saturday set up a round the clock emergency helpline and advised Indian nationals to stay vigilant after escalation in Israel's conflict with Iran.
"We are continuously monitoring the evolving situation including the safety of Indians nationals. In case of any emergency, please contact the 24x7 helpline of the Embassy: Telephone +972 54-7520711 +972 54-3278392 *Email* [email protected]," Indian embassy posted on X on Saturday.
The embassy also advised Indian nationals to adhere to the safety protocols "as advised by the Israeli authorities and home front command." Similar advisory was issued on Friday when Israel announced the launch of Operation Rising Lion against Iran.
"Please exercise caution, avoid unnecessary travel within the country and stay close to safety shelters", the embassy advised on Friday.
Israel attacked Iran early Friday targeting its nuclear, missile and military infrastructure.
Iran launched retaliatory strikes on Israel killing at least three people and wounding dozens. PTI
- 14 Jun 2025 7:41 PM IST
Tehran no longer immune, Israeli jets flying freely: IDF spokesperson
Israel Defence Forces spokesperson Brig Gen Effie Defrin on Saturday claimed that the Israeli Air Force has achieved aerial freedom of action over Tehran, which is “no longer immune.” Defrin said that over 70 Israeli Air Force fighter jets participated in the overnight operation in Tehran to achieve aerial freedom of action over the Iranian capital.
Israel attacked Iran's capital early Friday in strikes that targeted the country's nuclear programme and attacked its nuclear, missile and military complex. In retaliation, Iran launched retaliatory strikes on Israel with the conflict escalating further on Saturday.
Some 40 sites were targeted, including air defence systems and related assets, Defrin said.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson stressed that Israel Air Force jets and drones flew over Tehran for some two and a half hours during the operation and that dozens of aircraft continue to fly freely thanks to the opening blow that removed the threat of Iranian air defence systems.
“It is the deepest area in Iran that the IAF has operated in so far,” Defrin emphasised.
“Tehran is no longer immune; the capital is exposed to Israeli strikes,” he asserted.
After claiming great success following the opening airstrikes deep inside Iran on Friday morning, the IDF on Saturday said that it is executing a planned operation aimed at dismantling Iran's military and nuclear capabilities.
“We are moving forward according to a plan that has been prepared for months,” the Israeli army said.
“We’re dismantling threat after threat, step by step. We’ve applied lessons from ground combat in Gaza and coordination with Northern Command to operate effectively even in distant Iran, just as we did over Gaza and Lebanon,” it added.
Also, the IDF noted that while the Air Force alone cannot neutralise all components of Iran’s dispersed nuclear infrastructure, it is targeting missile production, key national infrastructure, regime leadership, and nuclear facilities.
“This combination will delay the nuclear programme by years,” it asserted. PTI
- 14 Jun 2025 7:30 PM IST
Iran warns US, UK, France: Will target military bases if they block strikes on Israel
Iran has issued a warning to the United States, United Kingdom, and France, saying that their military bases and naval assets in the region will be targeted if they attempt to stop Iran's strikes on Israel. The threat was reported by Iranian state media, according to the news agency Reuters.
- 14 Jun 2025 7:28 PM IST
India distances itself from SCO statement condemning Israel's strikes on Iran
The Sanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), in its statement, said that the member states express serious concern over the escalating tensions in the Middle East and strongly condemn the military strikes carried out by Israel on the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
It also stated that such aggressive actions against civilian targets, including energy and transport infrastructure, which have resulted in civilian casualties, are a gross violation of international law and the United Nations Charter.
The Ministry of External Affairs issued a clarification on SCO's statement, stating, "India's position on the matter had been articulated by us on 13 June 2025, and remains the same. We urge that channels of dialogue and diplomacy be utilised to work towards de-escalation, and it is essential that the international community undertake endeavours in that direction."
- 14 Jun 2025 7:21 PM IST
'Nuclear talks with US unjustifiable while Israeli attacks persist'
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has stated that US-Iran nuclear talks are unjustifiable while Israel’s “barbarous” attacks continue. This sentiment echoes comments from Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, who earlier called US-Iran nuclear dialogue “meaningless” in light of Israel’s recent strike and alleged US support. Reuters
- 14 Jun 2025 7:19 PM IST
'An eye for an eye': Tehran residents seek retaliation
“An eye for an eye,” said Mahmoud Dorri, a 29-year-old taxi driver, expressing the anger and indignation felt by many Tehran residents after Israel’s deadly strikes. “Israel killed our commanders and what do they expect in return? A kiss? We will go after them to punish them,” Dorri told the Associated Press, as cited by CNN.
