Israel-Iran conflict LIVE | Iran to close Hormuz Strait, vows to avenge bombings
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says US has committed a "grave violation" of the UN Charter, adding that these events will have everlasting consequences
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is heading to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday (June 23) in the wake of US strikes on Tehran’s nuclear facilities.
Calling Russia a “friend of Iran,” the foreign minister warned that Iran “reserves all options to defend its security, its interests, its people...All options are on the table.”
Addressing a press conference in Istanbul, Araghchi said with the overnight strikes on Iran, “there is no red line” that the US has not crossed. He said the last red line “and the most dangerous one was what happened only last night when they crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities.”
Araghchi said Washington is “fully responsible” for what actions the Islamic Republic takes next in retaliation against the US strikes on its various nuclear sites. “The warmongering, a lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far-reaching implications of its act of aggression,” he added.
He also made it clear that diplomacy is not an option after a US strike on its nuclear facilities. He said while the “door to diplomacy” should always be open, “this is not the case right now.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday conveyed to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian India’s “deep concern” over Iran’s conflict with Israel and called for immediate de-escalation of the situation through “dialogue and diplomacy”.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump said the American military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel's effort to decapitate the country's nuclear programme in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran's threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict.
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Live Updates
- 22 Jun 2025 4:22 PM IST
'There is no red line US hasn't crossed'
Iran's foreign minister said on Sunday that with the overnight strikes on Iran, 'there is no red line' that the US has not crossed.
Abbas Araghchi spoke to reporters in Istanbul. He also said that the last red line "and the most dangerous one was what happened only last night when they crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities only.” (AP)
- 22 Jun 2025 4:21 PM IST
'Diplomacy not an option after US strikes on Iran'
Iran's foreign minister says diplomacy is not an option after a US strike on its nuclear facilities.
Abbas Araghchi spoke in Istanbul to journalists Sunday. He said while the “door to diplomacy” should always be open, “this is not the case right now.” (AP)
- 22 Jun 2025 4:20 PM IST
'US fully responsible for consequences of its strikes on Iran'
Iran's foreign minister said on Sunday that Washington is “fully responsible” for what actions the Islamic Republic takes next in retaliation against the US strikes on its various nuclear sites.
“The warmongering, a lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far reaching implications of its act of aggression,” Abbas Araghchi said in a news briefing at a conference in Turkiye. These were the first public statements from a high-ranking Iranian official since the US carried out its strikes. (AP)
- 22 Jun 2025 4:18 PM IST
US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites may not be enough to destroy them: Chinese experts
China's official media on Sunday criticised US bomb attacks on Iranian nuclear sites as a further step toward the abyss, while Chinese experts said the American bunker-buster bombs used in strikes may not be enough to destroy Iran's nuclear plants hidden deep underground.
The US on early Sunday morning attacked Iran's Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites to destroy the country's nuclear programme. US President Donald Trump said that the US military had carried out a "very successful" attack on three nuclear sites.
According to media reports, B2 stealth bombers were involved in the strikes on Iran's nuclear sites.
While China, which on Saturday called for a ceasefire between Iran and Israel to pause the war, is yet to officially react to the American airstrikes, a flash editorial in the state-run China Daily said the US unilateral military strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities constitute a reckless escalation and a flagrant violation of international law.
Such unilateralism undermines the rules-based international order and sets a dangerous "might-makes-right" precedent, it said.
The strikes have only served to push the situation further toward the abyss, it said.
Chinese experts said the true effectiveness of the American operation remains unclear, and that the strikes may not have been sufficient to completely destroy Iran's underground nuclear facilities.
Fordo's nuclear facility lies nearly 100 meters underground, making it extremely difficult to destroy completely with just one or two strikes, even using bunker-buster bombs, Li Zixin, an assistant research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told state-run Global Times. (AP)
- 22 Jun 2025 4:15 PM IST
France says 'learned with concern' about US strikes in Iran
The French foreign minister said on Sunday that his country did not take part in the US strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities.
Jean-Noel Barrot said in a message on social media that France “has learned with concern” of the US military action against three nuclear sites.
“It was neither involved in these strikes nor in their planning,” Barrot said, adding that France “urges the parties to show restraint in order to avoid any escalation that could lead to an extension of the conflict.” Barrot also reiterated France's opposition to Iran gaining access to nuclear weapons.
“France is convinced that a lasting solution to this issue requires a negotiated solution within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty,” he said. “It remains ready to contribute to this in conjunction with its partners.” (AP)
- 22 Jun 2025 2:29 PM IST
Egyptian foreign minister's India visit called off
Egyptian foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty's two-day visit to India beginning Monday has been called off in view of the escalating tension in the Middle-East following the US's bombing of three major nuclear sites in Iran.Badr was scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday. The visit has been postponed. - 22 Jun 2025 2:02 PM IST
Left parties condemn US strikes on Iran
Left parties have condemned the US strikes on nuclear sites in Iran, terming them as a “grave violation” of international laws.
CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby warned that the fallout of the strikes will be global, including for India. “We unequivocally condemn the US attack on Iran's nuclear sites - a grave violation of international law. Trump ordered this strike ignoring US intelligence that Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons,” Baby said in a post on X.
“This mirrors the Iraq war lies — lies about WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction) then and nukes now. The economic & political fallout will be global, including for India,” he said.
“The US has proved itself to be the No. 1 Rogue State. Call for Protest action wherever possible,” he added.
CPI (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said the peace-loving people of the world must condemn this blatant act of US aggression.
“The US has now directly attacked Iran. After destroying Iraq, Libya and Syria, the US-Israel axis of aggression wants to destroy Iran and destabilise and subjugate the whole of West Asia,” Bhattacharya said in a statement.
“The peace-loving people of the world must condemn this blatant act of US aggression. India must not support the US-Israel axis in this totally unjust war and demand an immediate end to imperialist invasion of Iran,” he said.
- 22 Jun 2025 2:00 PM IST
Nations react to US strikes on Iran with calls for diplomacy
The US strike on Iran fuelled fears that Israel’s war with Tehran could escalate to a wider regional conflict, and other countries began reacting Sunday with calls for diplomacy and words of caution.
Here is a look at reactions from governments and officials around the world.
Lebanon Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that Lebanon needs to stay away from any possible regional spillover from the conflict.
“It is increasingly important for us to adhere strictly to the supreme national interest, which is the need to avoid Lebanon being ... drawn into the ongoing regional confrontation in any way,” Salam said in a post on X.
United Nations UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was “gravely alarmed” by the use of force by the United States.
“There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control - with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world,” he said in a statement on the social media platform X. “I call on Member States to de-escalate. There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy.”
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters urged “all parties to return to talks.” The three-time foreign minister said the crisis is “the most serious I've ever dealt with" and that it was “critical further escalation is avoided”. “Diplomacy will deliver a more enduring resolution than further military action,” he said.
Both the Houthi rebels in Yemen and Hamas have condemned the US strikes. The Houthis vowed to support Iran in its fight against “the Zionist and American aggression”. In a statement on Sunday, the Houthi political bureau called on Muslim nations to join “the Jihad and resistance option as one front against the Zionist-American arrogance.”
Hamas and the Houthis are part of Iran's so-called “Axis of Resistance,” the collection of pro-Iranian proxies stretching from Yemen to Lebanon that for years gave Iran considerable power across the region.
A flash commentary from China's government-run media asked whether the US is “repeating its Iraq mistake in Iran”. The online piece by CGTN, the foreign-language arm of the state broadcaster, said the US strikes mark a dangerous turning point.
“History has repeatedly shown that military interventions in the Middle East often produce unintended consequences, including prolonged conflicts and regional destabilization,” it said, citing the American invasion of Iraq in 2003.
It said a measured, diplomatic approach that prioritises dialogue over military confrontation offers the best hope for stability in the Middle East.
South Korea's presidential office held an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the potential security and economic ramifications of the US strikes.
National security director, Wi Sung-lac, asked officials to coordinate closely to minimize any negative impacts on South Korea, emphasizing that the top priority is ensuring the safety of the South Korean people and the continuation of their stable daily lives, according to the presidential office.
Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was expected to hold a meeting with key ministers Sunday afternoon to discuss the impact of the US strikes, according to Japan's NHK television. Japan's largest-circulation newspaper Yomiuri is distributing an extra edition on the attack in Tokyo.
Australia, which shuttered its embassy in Tehran and evacuated staff Friday, pushed for a diplomatic end to the conflict.
“We have been clear that Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programme has been a threat to international peace and security,” a government official said in a written statement. “We note the U.S. President's statement that now is the time for peace. The security situation in the region is highly volatile. We continue to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy.”
- 22 Jun 2025 1:48 PM IST
India ramps up oil imports from Russia, US in June
India has ramped up purchases of Russian oil in June, importing more than the combined volumes from Middle Eastern suppliers such as Saudi Arabia and Iraq, amid market volatility triggered by Israel’s dramatic attack on Iran.
Indian refiners are likely to import 2–2.2 million barrels per day of Russian crude oil in June — the highest in the last two years and more than the total volumes bought from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait, preliminary data by global trade analytics firm Kpler showed.
India’s oil imports from Russia were 1.96 million barrels per day (bpd) in May.
Imports from the United States also rose to 439,000 bpd in June, a big jump from 280,000 bpd purchased in the previous month.
Full-month projections for imports from the Middle East stand at around 2 million bpd, lower than the previous month's buying, according to Kpler.
India, the world's third-largest oil-importing and consuming nation, bought from abroad around 5.1 million barrels of crude oil, which is converted into fuels like petrol and diesel in refineries.
India, which has traditionally sourced its oil from the Middle East, began importing a large volume of oil from Russia soon after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. This was primarily because Russian oil was available at a significant discount to other international benchmarks due to Western sanctions and some European countries shunning purchases.
This led to India's imports of Russian oil seeing a dramatic rise, growing from less than 1 per cent of its total crude oil imports to a staggering 40-44 per cent in a short period.
The conflict in the Middle East has so far not impacted oil supplies.
