Diplomatic push takes shape a week into Israel-Iran war

The Advertiser

3 hours ago

Israel and Iran are exchanging strikes a week into their war as President Donald Trump considers US military involvement and new diplomatic efforts appear to be under way.
Trump has been weighing whether to attack Iran by striking its well-defended Fordo uranium enrichment facility, which is buried under a mountain and widely considered to be out of reach of all but America's "bunker-buster" bombs.
He said he would decide within two weeks whether the US military will get directly involved in the war given the "substantial chance" for renewed negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi appeared headed to Geneva on Friday for meetings with the European Union's top diplomat and counterparts from the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
Britain's foreign secretary said he met at the White House with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss the potential for a deal that could cool the conflict.
Israel said it conducted air strikes into Friday morning in Iran with more than 60 aircraft hitting what it said were industrial sites to manufacture missiles.
It also said it hit the headquarters of Iran's Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research, known by its acronym in Farsi, SPND.
The US in the past has linked that agency to alleged Iranian research and testing tied to the possible development of nuclear explosive devices.
Israeli air strikes reached into the city of Rasht on the Caspian Sea early on Friday, Iranian media reported.
The Israeli military had warned the public to flee the area around Rasht's Industrial City, but with Iran's internet shut off to the outside world, it's unclear how many people could see the message.
In Israel, paramedic service Magen David Adom said missiles struck a residential area in southern Israel causing damage to buildings, including one six-storey building.
Five people were treated for minor injuries such as bruises, smoke inhalation and anxiety, it said.
This came a day after at least 80 patients and medical workers were wounded in a strike on the Soroka Medical Centre in the southern city of Beersheba.
On Thursday, Israel's defence minister threatened Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after the Iranian missile crashed into the hospital.
Israel's military "has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist", Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he trusted that Trump would "do what's best for America".
Speaking from the rubble and shattered glass around the hospital, he added: "I can tell you that they're already helping a lot."
The war between Israel and Iran erupted June 13 with Israeli air strikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists.
At least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group.
Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates.
Most have been shot down by Israel's multi-tiered air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded.
Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but it is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich uranium up to 60 per cent, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent.
The Israeli air campaign has targeted Iran's enrichment site at Natanz, centrifuge workshops around Tehran, a nuclear site in Isfahan and what the army assesses to be most of Iran's ballistic missile launchers.
The destruction of those launchers has contributed to the steady decline in Iranian attacks since the start of the conflict.
Israel and Iran are exchanging strikes a week into their war as President Donald Trump considers US military involvement and new diplomatic efforts appear to be under way.
Trump has been weighing whether to attack Iran by striking its well-defended Fordo uranium enrichment facility, which is buried under a mountain and widely considered to be out of reach of all but America's "bunker-buster" bombs.
He said he would decide within two weeks whether the US military will get directly involved in the war given the "substantial chance" for renewed negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi appeared headed to Geneva on Friday for meetings with the European Union's top diplomat and counterparts from the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
Britain's foreign secretary said he met at the White House with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss the potential for a deal that could cool the conflict.
Israel said it conducted air strikes into Friday morning in Iran with more than 60 aircraft hitting what it said were industrial sites to manufacture missiles.
It also said it hit the headquarters of Iran's Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research, known by its acronym in Farsi, SPND.
The US in the past has linked that agency to alleged Iranian research and testing tied to the possible development of nuclear explosive devices.
Israeli air strikes reached into the city of Rasht on the Caspian Sea early on Friday, Iranian media reported.
The Israeli military had warned the public to flee the area around Rasht's Industrial City, but with Iran's internet shut off to the outside world, it's unclear how many people could see the message.
In Israel, paramedic service Magen David Adom said missiles struck a residential area in southern Israel causing damage to buildings, including one six-storey building.
Five people were treated for minor injuries such as bruises, smoke inhalation and anxiety, it said.
This came a day after at least 80 patients and medical workers were wounded in a strike on the Soroka Medical Centre in the southern city of Beersheba.
On Thursday, Israel's defence minister threatened Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after the Iranian missile crashed into the hospital.
Israel's military "has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist", Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he trusted that Trump would "do what's best for America".
Speaking from the rubble and shattered glass around the hospital, he added: "I can tell you that they're already helping a lot."
The war between Israel and Iran erupted June 13 with Israeli air strikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists.
At least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group.
Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates.
Most have been shot down by Israel's multi-tiered air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded.
Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but it is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich uranium up to 60 per cent, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent.
The Israeli air campaign has targeted Iran's enrichment site at Natanz, centrifuge workshops around Tehran, a nuclear site in Isfahan and what the army assesses to be most of Iran's ballistic missile launchers.
The destruction of those launchers has contributed to the steady decline in Iranian attacks since the start of the conflict.
Israel and Iran are exchanging strikes a week into their war as President Donald Trump considers US military involvement and new diplomatic efforts appear to be under way.
Trump has been weighing whether to attack Iran by striking its well-defended Fordo uranium enrichment facility, which is buried under a mountain and widely considered to be out of reach of all but America's "bunker-buster" bombs.
He said he would decide within two weeks whether the US military will get directly involved in the war given the "substantial chance" for renewed negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi appeared headed to Geneva on Friday for meetings with the European Union's top diplomat and counterparts from the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
Britain's foreign secretary said he met at the White House with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss the potential for a deal that could cool the conflict.
Israel said it conducted air strikes into Friday morning in Iran with more than 60 aircraft hitting what it said were industrial sites to manufacture missiles.
It also said it hit the headquarters of Iran's Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research, known by its acronym in Farsi, SPND.
The US in the past has linked that agency to alleged Iranian research and testing tied to the possible development of nuclear explosive devices.
Israeli air strikes reached into the city of Rasht on the Caspian Sea early on Friday, Iranian media reported.
The Israeli military had warned the public to flee the area around Rasht's Industrial City, but with Iran's internet shut off to the outside world, it's unclear how many people could see the message.
In Israel, paramedic service Magen David Adom said missiles struck a residential area in southern Israel causing damage to buildings, including one six-storey building.
Five people were treated for minor injuries such as bruises, smoke inhalation and anxiety, it said.
This came a day after at least 80 patients and medical workers were wounded in a strike on the Soroka Medical Centre in the southern city of Beersheba.
On Thursday, Israel's defence minister threatened Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after the Iranian missile crashed into the hospital.
Israel's military "has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist", Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he trusted that Trump would "do what's best for America".
Speaking from the rubble and shattered glass around the hospital, he added: "I can tell you that they're already helping a lot."
The war between Israel and Iran erupted June 13 with Israeli air strikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists.
At least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group.
Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates.
Most have been shot down by Israel's multi-tiered air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded.
Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but it is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich uranium up to 60 per cent, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent.
The Israeli air campaign has targeted Iran's enrichment site at Natanz, centrifuge workshops around Tehran, a nuclear site in Isfahan and what the army assesses to be most of Iran's ballistic missile launchers.
The destruction of those launchers has contributed to the steady decline in Iranian attacks since the start of the conflict.
Israel and Iran are exchanging strikes a week into their war as President Donald Trump considers US military involvement and new diplomatic efforts appear to be under way.
Trump has been weighing whether to attack Iran by striking its well-defended Fordo uranium enrichment facility, which is buried under a mountain and widely considered to be out of reach of all but America's "bunker-buster" bombs.
He said he would decide within two weeks whether the US military will get directly involved in the war given the "substantial chance" for renewed negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi appeared headed to Geneva on Friday for meetings with the European Union's top diplomat and counterparts from the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
Britain's foreign secretary said he met at the White House with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss the potential for a deal that could cool the conflict.
Israel said it conducted air strikes into Friday morning in Iran with more than 60 aircraft hitting what it said were industrial sites to manufacture missiles.
It also said it hit the headquarters of Iran's Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research, known by its acronym in Farsi, SPND.
The US in the past has linked that agency to alleged Iranian research and testing tied to the possible development of nuclear explosive devices.
Israeli air strikes reached into the city of Rasht on the Caspian Sea early on Friday, Iranian media reported.
The Israeli military had warned the public to flee the area around Rasht's Industrial City, but with Iran's internet shut off to the outside world, it's unclear how many people could see the message.
In Israel, paramedic service Magen David Adom said missiles struck a residential area in southern Israel causing damage to buildings, including one six-storey building.
Five people were treated for minor injuries such as bruises, smoke inhalation and anxiety, it said.
This came a day after at least 80 patients and medical workers were wounded in a strike on the Soroka Medical Centre in the southern city of Beersheba.
On Thursday, Israel's defence minister threatened Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after the Iranian missile crashed into the hospital.
Israel's military "has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist", Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he trusted that Trump would "do what's best for America".
Speaking from the rubble and shattered glass around the hospital, he added: "I can tell you that they're already helping a lot."
The war between Israel and Iran erupted June 13 with Israeli air strikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists.
At least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group.
Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates.
Most have been shot down by Israel's multi-tiered air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded.
Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but it is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich uranium up to 60 per cent, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent.
The Israeli air campaign has targeted Iran's enrichment site at Natanz, centrifuge workshops around Tehran, a nuclear site in Isfahan and what the army assesses to be most of Iran's ballistic missile launchers.
The destruction of those launchers has contributed to the steady decline in Iranian attacks since the start of the conflict.