Israel and Iran trade strikes for a third day as nuclear talks are called off
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel unleashed airstrikes across Iran for a third day on Sunday and threatened even greater force as some Iranian missiles evaded Israeli air defenses to strike buildings in the heart of the country. Planned talks on Iran's nuclear program, which could provide an off-ramp, were called off.
The region braced for a protracted conflict after Israel's surprise bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military sites on Friday killed several top generals and nuclear scientists, and neither side showed any sign of backing down. Israel reportedly targeted a gas installation, raising the prospect of a broader assault on Iran's heavily sanctioned energy industry that could affect global markets.
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Toronto Sun
an hour ago
- Toronto Sun
Israel and Iran trade strikes for a third day as nuclear talks are called off
Published Jun 15, 2025 • 5 minute read Israeli rescuers search through the rubble at the site of an overnight Iranian missile strike in Bat Yam on June 15, 2025. Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA / AFP via Getty Images DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Israel unleashed airstrikes across Iran for a third day on Sunday and threatened even greater force as some Iranian missiles evaded Israeli air defences to strike buildings in the heart of the country. Planned talks on Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear program, which could provide an off-ramp, were cancelled. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The region braced for a protracted conflict after Israel's surprise bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military sites on Friday killed several top generals and nuclear scientists. Neither side showed any sign of backing down. Iran said Israel struck two oil refineries, raising the prospect of a broader assault on Iran's heavily sanctioned energy industry that could affect global markets. The Israeli military, in a social media post, warned Iranians to evacuate arms factories, signaling a further widening of the campaign. Israel, the sole though undeclared nuclear-armed state in the Middle East, said it launched the attack to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. The two countries have been adversaries for decades. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Explosions shook Iran's capital, Tehran, at around noon and again around 3:30 p.m. Semiofficial news agencies close to Iran's Revolutionary Guard reported one strike in the area of Vali-e Asr Square downtown and another in a neighbourhood named for the air force, which is headquartered there. Sirens went off across much of Israel again around 4 p.m., warning of what would be Iran's first daytime assault since the fighting began. There were no immediate reports of casualties. U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed full support for Israel's actions while warning Iran that it can avoid further destruction only by agreeing to a new nuclear deal. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that if Israel's strikes on Iran stop, then 'our responses will also stop.' He said the United States 'is a partner in these attacks and must take responsibility.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Iran's UN ambassador said Saturday that 78 people had been killed and more than 320 wounded. There has been no official update since then. Israel said 13 people have been killed and more than 360 wounded. Iran has fired over 270 missiles, 22 of which made impact, according to Israeli figures. The country's main international airport and airspace remained closed for a third day. Israeli strikes targeted Iran's Defence Ministry early Sunday after hitting air defences, military bases and sites associated with its nuclear program. The killing of several top generals and nuclear scientists in targeted strikes indicated that Israeli intelligence has penetrated Iran at the highest levels. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Araghchi said Israel had targeted an oil refinery near Tehran and another in a province on the Persian Gulf. He said Iran had targeted 'economic' sites in Israel, without elaborating. Semiofficial Iranian news agencies reported that an Israeli drone strike caused a 'strong explosion' at an Iranian natural gas processing plant. The extent of damage at the South Pars natural gas field was not immediately clear. Such sites have air defence systems around them, which Israel has been targeting. In a sign that Iran expects Israeli strikes to continue, state television reported that metro stations and mosques would be made available as bomb shelters beginning on Sunday night. Death toll mounts in Israel In Israel, at least six people, including a 10-year-old and a 9-year-old, were killed when a missile hit an apartment building in Bat Yam, near Tel Aviv. Daniel Hadad, a local police commander, said 180 people were wounded and seven were missing. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. An Associated Press reporter saw streets lined with damaged or destroyed buildings, bombed-out cars and shards of glass. Some people could be seen leaving with suitcases. Another four people, including a 13-year-old, were killed and 24 wounded when a missile struck a building in the Arab town of Tamra in northern Israel. A strike on the central city of Rehovot wounded 42. The Weizmann Institute of Science, an important centre for research in Rehovot, reported 'a number of hits to buildings on the campus.' It said no one was harmed. An oil refinery was also damaged in the northern Israeli city of Haifa, according to the firm operating it, which said no one was wounded. Israel has sophisticated multi-tiered air defences that are able to detect and intercept missiles fired at populated areas or key infrastructure, but officials acknowledge it is imperfect. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. World leaders made urgent calls to deescalate. The attack on nuclear sites set a 'dangerous precedent,' China's foreign minister said Saturday. The region is already on edge as Israel seeks to annihilate Hamas, an Iranian ally, in the Gaza Strip, where war still rages after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has brushed off such calls, saying Israel's strikes so far are 'nothing compared to what they will feel under the sway of our forces in the coming days.' Iran has always said its nuclear program was peaceful, and the U.S. and others have assessed it has not pursued a weapon since 2003. But it has enriched ever larger stockpiles of uranium to near weapons-grade levels in recent years and was believed to have been able to develop multiple weapons within months if it chose to do so. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The UN's atomic watchdog censured Iran last week. Iran calls nuclear talks 'unjustifiable' A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive nuclear talks, said Washington remained committed to them and hoped the Iranians would return to the table. Iran's foreign minister on Saturday called the nuclear talks 'unjustifiable' after Israel's strikes. In a social media post early Sunday, Trump reiterated that the U.S. was not involved in the attacks on Iran and warned that any retaliation directed against it would bring an American response 'at levels never seen before.' 'However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict!!!' he wrote. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In Iran, satellite photos analyzed by AP show extensive damage at Iran's main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz. The images shot Saturday by Planet Labs PBC show multiple buildings damaged or destroyed. The structures hit include buildings identified by experts as supplying power to the facility. UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council that the above-ground section of the Natanz facility was destroyed. The main centrifuge facility underground did not appear tobe hit, but the loss of power could have damaged infrastructure there, he said. Israel also struck a nuclear research facility in Isfahan. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog, said four 'critical buildings' were damaged, including Isfahan's uranium conversion facility. The IAEA said there was no sign of increased radiation at Natanz or Isfahan. An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity on Sunday in line with official procedures, said it would take 'many months, maybe more' to restore the two sites. — Melzer reported from Nahariya, Israel, and Goldenberg from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi and Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran; Sam Mednick and Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Julia Frankel in Jerusalem contributed to this report. Sunshine Girls Golf Editorial Cartoons World Golf
Vancouver Sun
an hour ago
- Vancouver Sun
Iranian missile bombardment kills 11 Israelis, injures hundreds more
At least 11 people were killed overnight Saturday in a wave of Iranian missile attacks on civilian areas across Israel. Seven people were killed when an apartment building in Bat Yam, just south of Tel Aviv, sustained a direct hit, according to the Magen David Adom emergency medical service. A four-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy are among the dead. Rescue efforts are ongoing at the scene, where two people remained unaccounted for beneath the rubble after four of the missing were found at hospitals. At least 180 others were wounded in the strike, according to Daniel Hadad, Ayalon region director of the Israel Defence Forces' Home Front Command. Four members of the Khatib family were killed in Tamra, a village in the Lower Galilee, 12 miles east of Acre, when an Iranian missile hit their residence. The victims were identified as Manar Khatib, 45, her daughters Shada, 20, and Hala, 13, and their relative, Manal Khatib, 41. Fourteen others were wounded in the strike. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. A missile strike in Haifa injured 13 people, all of whom were reported to be in moderate or mild condition. Meanwhile, in Rehovot in central Israel, a direct hit on a building left 37 people wounded, two seriously, Magen David Adom said. The Weizmann Institute of Science in the same city said that several of its buildings were damaged by the missile barrage, but that there were no casualties, adding that the institute is in contact with security and emergency services to ensure the safety of its staff and campus. Dozens more were hurt in other missile impacts across the country. The IDF Home Front Command was continuing to operate at the impact zones in Bat Yam, Tamra and Rehovot on Sunday morning. The Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs announced that 742 citizens were left homeless following the overnight attacks, many of whom were evacuated by the Home Front Command to hotels across the country. Nearly 80 missiles were fired at Israel in two barrages, according to estimates in the defence establishment, Israeli media reported on Sunday. About 40 missiles were fired at the north, and approximately 35 missiles targeted the central region. Earlier, between Friday and early Saturday morning, three more civilians were killed by Iranian ballistic missile attacks on central Israel. 'A very sad and difficult morning. Our brothers and sisters were murdered and injured last night in heinous Iranian attacks against the civilian population in Bat Yam, Tamra and other communities,' Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Sunday. 'Jews and Arabs, longtime citizens and new immigrants, including children and the elderly, women and men. I share in the families' deep sorrow and mourn this terrible loss. I pray for the recovery of the wounded and the safe return of the missing. We will mourn together. We will overcome together,' he added. Last night, Iran again unleashed a wave of missiles on Israel — with one goal: to kill. Children asleep in their beds. Grandparents. Holocaust survivors. A beautiful Muslim family in Tamra. Jews and Muslims. Israelis and Palestinians. Evil. Pure and deliberate. We mourn… Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday, 'In the very near future, you will see Israeli Air Force jets over the skies of Tehran—we will strike every site and every target belonging to the ayatollah regime.' Iran's nuclear program 'was dealt a significant blow,' Netanyahu stressed, referring to the Jewish state's largest-ever attack against the Islamic Republic, which began on June 13. The goal of 'Operation Rising Lion' is twofold: to dismantle both the Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile threats, the premier said. Earlier on Saturday, the IDF announced that it had 'established aerial superiority from western Iran to Tehran,' allowing Israeli aircraft to operate freely across a wide swath of territory. This unprecedented freedom of action was achieved by systematically destroying Iranian radar installations, surface-to-air missile batteries and command centers, making it possible for Israeli jets and drones to identify and strike additional targets, including mobile ballistic missile launchers poised to fire at Israel before they could be launched. Israel's ongoing operation could extend over 'weeks, not days,' according to a CNN report citing White House and Israeli officials. U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly aligned with the projected timeline and has expressed support for Israel's approach. 'The Trump administration firmly believes this can be resolved through continued negotiations with the U.S.,' an American official told CNN, emphasizing, however, that Washington does not intend to dictate how Israel should defend itself. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a stark warning on Saturday, declaring that 'Tehran will burn' if Iran continues to fire on Israeli population centers. 'The Iranian dictator is turning Iranian citizens into hostages and creating a reality in which they—especially the residents of Tehran—will pay a heavy price for the criminal harm to Israeli citizens,' he said. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our newsletters here .
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Ukraine drone attack on Russia's Tatarstan region leaves at least 1 dead, 13 injured
One person was killed and 13 others wounded Sunday in a Ukrainian drone attack in Russia's Tatarstan region, local authorities said. Regional Gov. Rustam Minnikhanov said the drone was destroyed, but falling debris ignited a fire and struck a vehicle manufacturing plant in the Yelabuga district, some 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) from the frontline. Russia's defense ministry said it shot down six Ukrainian drones overnight. Russia launched 183 drones and decoys, along with 11 missiles, at Ukraine overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force, which said its air defenses destroyed 111 drones and eight missiles, while another 48 drones were jammed. Officials in the Poltava region said the overnight attack damaged energy and agricultural infrastructure, but there were no casualties. Continuing a renewed battlefield push along eastern and northeastern parts of the more than 600-mile front line, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed Sunday that its troops captured another village in the Donetsk region, Malynivka. The Ukrainian military had no immediate comment on the Russian claim. The continued attacks came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump held a lengthy call, during which Trump said that he pressed Putin to end the war in Ukraine. In other developments, Russia repatriated more bodies of fallen soldiers in line with an agreement reached during peace talks in Istanbul between Russian and Ukrainian delegations, Russian officials said Sunday, cited by Russian state media. The officials said Ukraine did not return any bodies to Russia on Sunday. Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War confirmed in a statement that Russia returned 1,200 bodies. The agreement to exchange prisoners of war and the bodies of fallen soldiers was the only tangible outcome of the June 2 Istanbul talks. The first round of the staggered exchanges took place on Monday. ___ Follow the AP's coverage of the war at
