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 7:56 AM IST
Know about B-2 Spirit bomber used by US to strike Iranian nuclear sites
A B-2 Spirit bomber. Photo: US Air Force
According to the US Air Force's factsheet, the B-2 Spirit is a multi-role bomber capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions.
"A dramatic leap forward in technology, the bomber represents a major milestone in the U.S. bomber modernization program. The B-2 brings massive firepower to bear, in a short time, anywhere on the globe through previously impenetrable defenses."
Features
The B-2 provides the penetrating flexibility and effectiveness inherent in manned bombers. Its low-observable, or "stealth," characteristics give it the unique ability to penetrate an enemy's most sophisticated defenses and threaten its most valued, and heavily defended, targets. Its capability to penetrate air defenses and threaten effective retaliation provides a strong, effective deterrent and combat force well into the 21st century.
The revolutionary blending of low-observable technologies with high aerodynamic efficiency and large payload gives the B-2 important advantages over existing bombers. Its low-observability provides it greater freedom of action at high altitudes, thus increasing its range and a better field of view for the aircraft's sensors. Its unrefueled range is approximately 6,000 nautical miles (9,600 kilometers).
The B-2's low observability is derived from a combination of reduced infrared, acoustic, electromagnetic, visual and radar signatures. These signatures make it difficult for the sophisticated defensive systems to detect, track and engage the B-2. Many aspects of the low-observability process remain classified; however, the B-2's composite materials, special coatings and flying-wing design all contribute to its "stealthiness."
General characteristics
Primary function: multi-role heavy bomber
Contractor: Northrop Grumman Corp. and Contractor Team: Boeing Military Airplanes Co., Hughes Radar Systems Group, General Electric Aircraft Engine Group and Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc.
Power plant: four General Electric F118-GE-100 engines
Thrust: 17,300 pounds each engine
Wingspan: 172 feet (52.12 meters)
Length: 69 feet (20.9 meters)
Height: 17 feet (5.1 meters)
Weight: 160,000 pounds (72,575 kilograms)
Maximum takeoff weight: 336,500 pounds (152,634 kilograms)
Fuel capacity: 167,000 pounds (75750 kilograms)
Payload: 40,000 pounds (18,144 kilograms)
Speed: high subsonic
Range: intercontinental
Ceiling: 50,000 feet (15,240 meters)
Armament: conventional or nuclear weapons
Crew: two pilots
Unit cost: Approximately $1.157 billion (fiscal 1998 constant dollars)
Initial operating capability: April 1997
Inventory: active force: 20 (1 test); ANG: 0; Reserve: 0
Source: US Air Force
- 22 Jun 2025 7:46 AM IST
Trump warns Iran
“Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier,” US President Donald Trump said as he spoke at the White House.
“This cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember, there are many targets left,” he added.
- 22 Jun 2025 7:39 AM IST
Netanyahu praises Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Donald Trump's decision to attack in a video message directed to the American president.
“Your bold decision to target Iran's nuclear facilities, with the awesome and righteous might of the United States, will change history,” he said.
Netanyahu said the US “has done what no other country on earth could do”.
- 22 Jun 2025 7:35 AM IST
Trump: 'Now is the time for peace'
US President Donald Trump announced the strikes on three Iranian enrichment facilities — Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan — and said that a “full payload of BOMBS was dropped” on Fordo.
“All planes are safely on their way home,” Trump added in his post. “Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!”
