Israel blitzes Iran suburb where Ayatollah is 'hiding in a bunker' as Russia warns Trump NOT to join war

Daily Mail​

5 hours ago

Israel has launched new attacks across Tehran near to where Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is hiding in an underground bunker.
The Israeli air force has attacked several targets in the Iranian capital and has destroyed Iran 's internal security headquarters.
Many blasts were heard in Lavizan, a northerastern neighbourhood in Tehran where Khamenei was moved to on Friday after Israel launched its first airstrikes against Iran.
Earlier today Khamenei said in a televised address that Iran would 'never surrender' after U.S. president Donald Trump demanded an 'unconditional' exit from the conflict, now in its sixth day.
Meanwhile Russia warned the United States against even thinking about supporting Israel 's bombing campaign.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said direct U.S. military assistance is a step 'that would radically destabilise the entire situation' in the Middle East.
Live updates below
Khamenei: Iran will never surrender - and U.S. intervention will be met with 'irreparable damage'
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made a televised address to the nation
Iran's supreme leader told his people on Wednesday that Tehran would 'never surrender' after U.S. president Donald Trump demanded an 'unconditional' exit from the conflict, now in its sixth day.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a televised address that Iran would 'stand firm against an imposed war, just as it will stand firm against an imposed peace', according to the Tasnim news agency.
'This nation will not surrender to anyone in the face of imposition,' he said in his first televised comments since Israel launched its surprise attack on Friday.
Khamenei also alluded to Trump's recent statements, saying that 'intelligent people who know Iran, the Iranian nation, and its history will never speak to this nation in threatening language'.
'The Americans should know that any US military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage,' he added.
Khamenei said that Israel had made a 'huge mistake' with its campaign, promising that they will be 'punished'.
13:23
Khamenei 'moved to underground bunker on Friday'
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was reportedly moved to an underground bunker in Lavizan, a northerastern neighbourhood in Tehran, on Friday just hours after Israel launched its first attacks.
Iran International reported all members of Khamenei's family including his son Mojtaba were with him at the time he was relocated.
He is believed to be holed up with his family, including his son, Mojtaba - who has been pegged as a potential successor to the ageing supreme leader.
Israel has already taken out top ranking officials including the chief of staff of the Iranian military and the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Chiefs (IRGC) since Friday.
13:15
New airstrikes close to Khamenei's bunker - report
Israeli media outlets are reporting the new airstrikes launched in Tehran this afternoon are close to where Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is hiding in an underground bunker.
Footage circulating on social media shows multiple blasts in Lavizan, a neighborhood in the eastern part of the capital where it is said the supreme leader could be seeking refuge.
Khamenei gave a televised address today to declare Tehran would 'never surrender' after U.S. president Donald Trump demanded an 'unconditional' exit from the conflict.
The fresh airstrikes have also reportedly struck Tehran's Nobonyad Square, home to the headquarters of the Iranian Defense Ministry and several factories.
13:02
Breaking:Pictures: Tehran under attack as Israel launches new strikes
These pictures show Tehran is once again under attack as Israel launches new strikes in the Iranian capital.
The IDF has confirmed the Israeli Air Force is attacking military targets across the city with blasts heard at around 3.30pm local time (1pm UK time).
12:55
Israel to ease restrictions as country looks to 'reopen economy'
Israel will ease domestic restrictions imposed on its population due to the ongoing war with Iran and will 'reopen its economy', defence minister Israel Katz said today.
Under the changes small gatherings will be permitted and workplaces will be allowed to operate if an adequate shelter can be reached in time.
Schools remain closed nationwide until further notice.
The eased restrictions take effect from 6pm tonight and were ordered following an assessment by the IDF Home Front Command and Mr Katz.
'While we continue our intense fight against Iran until the threats are removed, we will also reopen the economy, ease restrictions, and restore Israel to paths of creativity, activity, and security,' Katz was quoted as saying in a statement.
The activity scale in most areas of the country has been adjusted from 'essential activity' to 'limited activity,' the Home Front Command says.
Breaking:Starmer to chair Cobra meeting on Middle East
Sir Keir Starmer will chair a meeting of the emergency Cobra committee on Wednesday to discuss the security situation in the Middle East, the PA news agency is reporting.
The high-level meeting follows the Prime Minister's return from the G7 summit in Canada at which he and other world leaders reiterated their 'commitment to peace and stability' but stopped short of calling for a truce between Israel and Iran.
But reports have also suggested US President Donald Trump is considering joining Israeli action against Iran after he left the G7 summit a day early to meet with military chiefs.
Today's Cobra meeting comes amid confusion over whether British nationals should remain in Israel after the Foreign Office withdrew family members of embassy staff from the country.
The Foreign Office said the withdrawal was temporary and a 'precautionary measure', with staff remaining at both the embassy in Tel Aviv and the consulate in Jerusalem.
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said:
Our embassy in Tel Aviv and consulate in Jerusalem remain fully staffed and continue to provide consular services to those who require assistance.
But Downing Street would not say whether British nationals should attempt to leave the country.
JD Vance pictured on his phone after leaving Situation Room
JD Vance was captured on his phone after he emerged from the West Wing of the White House following a meeting with the National Security Council in the Situation Room.
Vance was pictured on Tuesday after he broke his silence about the military strikes on Iran, bracing supporters of President Donald Trump for possible American military action in the conflict.
The vice president weighed in as supporters of the MAGA movement raged against each other over Israel's bombing campaign, as some suggested the president had been duped by 'deep state' operatives in the intelligence agencies to start a war in the Middle East and betraying his 'American first' agenda.
Vance appeared aware of the raging online debate, citing 'a lot of crazy stuff on social media' and urged Trump supporters to trust the president.
Relatives of UK embassy staff 'withdrawn' from Israel
Relatives of staff working at the UK embassy in Tel Aviv and consulate in Jerusalem were 'temporarily withdrawn as a precautionary measure', the Foreign Office said, adding that staff at the mission remain.
The UK Government continues to advise British nationals in Israel to follow the advice of local authorities and remain near shelter, Downing Street has said.
A Number 10 spokesman said:
This is a fast moving situation. We are keeping all our advice under constant review and the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) continues to plan for a variety of developments as you would expect.
The safety and security of British nationals is our top priority. Our key message to British nationals in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories is to follow the advice of local authorities on staying close to shelter.
The spokesman added that Foreign Office teams were present at the border with Jordan to help Britons with onward travel, but would not say that the Government was advising British nationals to leave Israel.
Multiple blasts heard across Tehran
Multiple explosions were heard in the Iranian capital Tehran on Wednesday, AFP journalists said, with black smoke seen rising in the east.
The series of blasts was heard shortly before 3:30pm local time (1pm UK time), on the sixth day of the most intense exchange of fire between arch-foes Iran and Israel.
The IDF has confirmed the Israeli Air Force is attacking Iranian regime military targets in Tehran.
Reporters on social media say the blasts are taking place in the Lavizan neighbourhood in the eastern part of the capital.
'It's never too late to negotiate,' Germany urges Iran
Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Wednesday called Iran to resume talks over its nuclear programme as the conflict between Israel and the Islamic republic raged.
Wadephul said he had delivered the message to his Iranian counterpart in a phone call on Monday together with the French and British foreign ministers and the European Union's chief diplomat.
'We, the E3 states, remain ready to negotiate a solution,' Wadephul said, with reference to the European grouping of Britain, France and Germany.
'Iran must now act urgently,' he said, calling for 'verifiable and confidence-building measures', such as a commitment from the government in Tehran not to pursue nuclear weapons capabilities.
'It is never too late to come to the negotiating table if you come with honest intentions,' Wadephul said in a press conference alongside the Jordanian foreign minister.
'We are millimetres away from catastrophe' with Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities: Russia
Russia has warned that 'we are millimetres away from catastrophe' due to ongoing Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
'Every day, several times a day, missile strikes are carried out on nuclear facilities of peaceful civilian infrastructure in Iran, which are under the control of I AEA observers who are there,' Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told reporters today.
'We must now ... understand that we are millimeters away from catastrophe.'
Iran's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva earlier slammed states for not condemning Israeli acts which he said exposed people to the risk of hazardous leaks.
'The deliberate targeting of Iran's nuclear facilities not only constitutes a grave violation of international law and U.N. Charter but also risks exposition of all people in our neighbourhood to possible hazardous leak,' said Ali Bahreini, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva.
This is not an act of war against our country, it is war against humanity.'
11:43
Israeli minister says Israel had no choice but to attack after 'decades' of 'hostility'
Israel's foreign minister posted a letter on X on Wednesday that he said he has sent to the head of the UN Security Council and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
In the letter, Gideon Sa'ar argues that Israel had no choice but to attack Iran after 'decades' of what he called 'clandestine acts of hostility'.
The letter, dated June 17, claims that Israel's Operation Rising Lion was launched following 'a critical development in Iran's nuclear weapons programme and aimed also at thwarting the imminent threat of additional Iranian missile and proxy attacks'.
Sa'ar claimed that Iran had 'systematically' deceived the international community and obstructed IAEA safeguards.
'Rather than complying with its obligations,' he wrote, 'Iran responded with a further escalation by expanding its enrichment and other activities to obtain nuclear weapons.'
'It is not merely rhetoric. Iran has a strategic plan to eliminate Israel, which includes concrete plans and actions to achieve this goal,' he insisted.
11:38
'We don't know if tomorrow we will be alive': Life in Tehran where residents live in fear
Shops remain shuttered in Tehran's historic Grand Bazaar
Tehran's streets are empty, with businesses closed and communications patchy at best.
With no bona fide bomb shelters open to the public, panicked masses spend restless nights on the floors of metro stations as strikes boom overhead.
No air raid sirens went off as Israeli strikes began pounding Tehran before dawn Friday. For many, it was an early sign civilians would have to go it alone.
On Monday U.S. President Donald Trump told the roughly 10 million people living in Iran's capital to evacuate 'immediately', sparking fears of intensifying attacks.
So what is life like for residents?
The Associated Press interviewed five people in Iran over the phone. All spoke either on the condition of anonymity or only allowed their first names to be used, for fear of retribution from the state against them or their families.
Shirin, 49, who lives in the southern part of Tehran, said every call or text to friends and family in recent days has felt like it could be the last. 'We don't know if tomorrow we will be alive,' she said.
One student, a refugee from another country, said she spent 12 hours in the station with her relatives.
Everyone there was panicking because of the situation. Everyone doesn't know what will happen next, if there is war in the future and what they should do. People think nowhere is safe for them.
A 29-year-old woman, who left the capital on Monday, has told how Iran's leaders had failed to keep them safe.
It's a kind of failing of the past that they didn't build shelters. Even though we've been under the shadow of a war, as long as I can remember.
11:04
Israel claims to have hit 1,100 targets in five days
Israel claimed to have hit 1,100 Iranian targets over five days of conflict on Wednesday.
Military spokesperson Effie Defrin said at a news conference today that Israel was 'operating systematically to neutralise the nuclear threat'.
'The Air Force is operating freely in Iran – this is unprecedented,' he said.
The military shared footage of what appeared to be an air strike in Iran.
The Israeli army, meanwhile, said in a post on X that the Air Force had struck 'more than 40 missile infrastructures aimed at the State of Israel, missile storage sites, and military operatives of the Iranian regime' this morning.
Putin eyes peacemaking role in Israel-Iran conflict
The Russian president has pitched himself as a possible mediator - though Moscow's closeness to Iran and Russia's invasion of Ukraine raise doubts about what kind of role he can play, experts say.
The assault on Ukraine and the war in Gaza have strained Moscow's traditionally good relations with Israel, home to a large Russian-born community.
At the same time, Russia has deepened military ties with Iran.
But while Moscow was quick to condemn Israel's strikes on Iran last Friday, Putin also wasted little time phoning both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to offer his role as a peacemaker.
Nicole Grajewski, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said:
By positioning itself as an indispensable intermediary, Moscow aims to reassert diplomatic relevance despite its pariah status in Europe
Russia also wants to protect its ally Tehran, facing a potentially existential military clash.
She added:
Israel could unearth Iran's fortress nuclear facility, expert claims
Israel could look to topple the elusive nuclear facility 'Fordow' with a daring commando raid, a former researcher for Israel's ministry of defence has suggested.
Ehud Eilam told the Wall Street Journal that Israel might turn back to more covert means to cripple the facility, built an estimated 80-90 metres underground.
Israel could otherwise carry out a cyberattack or targeted assassinations to weaken the site, believed to be out of reach for Israel's bunker busters.
The alternative - without the support of heavy American bombers - would be to send a large number of smaller penetrator bombs to hack away at the reinforcements around the compound, Eilam suggested.
The Iranian Fars news agency reported yesterday that a cyberattack had disrupted Iran's Bank Sepah. An Israeli-linked group later claimed responsibility.
Earlier this week, Israeli officials cryptically promised a 'surprise' on Thursday night similar to its pager attack on Hezbollah leadership, though it remains unclear what that might look like.
10:35
Iran threatens to 'respond strongly' to any aggression from either Israel or United States
Iran will respond 'strongly' to any aggression from either Israel or Washington, Tehran's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said Wednesday.
'We will respond strongly and we will stop aggression from any side, be it Israel or the United States,' Ali Bahreini told a press conference.
'And we have given a message to the United States that we will respond very firmly and will stop the aggression by anybody - including the United States,' he said.
Iran said early Wednesday that it fired hypersonic missiles at Israel in the latest round of overnight strikes between the arch foes.
Bahreini also criticised the attitude of Western and European nations.
'When you look at the positions of different countries, Western countries, European countries, not only they are not condemning the attacks and aggression, they are trying to justify the aggression,' he said.
Israel continues strikes on Gaza as conflict is eclipsed by growing clashes with Iran
Israeli gunfire and strikes killed at least 30 people across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, local health authorities said, as some Palestinians there said their plight was being forgotten as attention shifted to the air war between Israel and Iran.
The deaths included the latest in near daily killings of Palestinians seeking aid in the three weeks since Israel partially lifted a total blockade on Gaza that it had imposed for almost three months.
Medics said separate airstrikes on homes in the Maghazi refugee camp and Zeitoun neighbourhood in central and northern Gaza killed at least 14 people, while five others were killed in an airstrike on a tent encampment in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
Eleven others were killed in Israeli fire at crowds of displaced Palestinians awaiting aid trucks brought in by the United Nations along the Salahuddin road in central Gaza, medics said.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was looking into the reported deaths of people waiting for food.
Iranian Supreme Leader declares 'the battle begins'
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has sent out some eerie messages as US President Donald Trump continues to weigh his options on the ongoing war between the Iranian regime and Israel.
In an X post on Tuesday night, Khamenei shared a disturbing image showing balls of fire raining down on an ancient city.
'In the name of the noble Haidar, the battle begins,' he wrote in Farsi, referring to Ali - whom Shia Muslims consider the first Imam and the rightful successor to the prophet Mohammed.
Iranian Supreme Leader declares 'the battle begins'
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sent out some eerie messages Tuesday night as US President Donald Trump continues to weigh his options on the ongoing war with Israel.
Israel-Iran conflict enters sixth day: Key updates as Iranian leader vows no mercy
If you're just joining us this morning, here's what you need to know:
U.S. officials have indicated that Iran has 24 to 48 hours to surrender and save itself from an American military onslaught as President Trump weighs up whether to join Israeli strikes
Despite Trump's threats, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei supreme leader has vowed to show 'no mercy' against Israel
The Iranian foreign ministry also warned American intervention in the Middle East would be 'a recipe for all-out war in the region'
It comes as thousands of people fled Tehran and other major Iranian cities as Iran and Israel launched new missile strikes at each other overnight.
Israel has reported no-one has died as a result of the latest attacks which includes 10 missiles it intercepted early this morning
The first aircraft carrying Israelis stranded abroad since the conflict broke out landed at Ben Gurion Airport today as citizens look to return to their homes
The UN's nuclear watchdog said two centrifuge production facilities - machines used to enrich uranium - in Iran had been hit in strikes