European ministers push for diplomacy as Iran-Israel conflict escalates
A rescuer stands inside a damaged building following a strike from Iran on Israel, in Ramat Gan, Israel, on June 19 [Nir Elias/Reuters]
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As the Israel-initiated conflict with Iran intensifies with fresh exchange of missile strikes, the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany are preparing for a planned diplomatic meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva on Friday.
On Thursday, Iranian missile strikes caused heavy damage across central and southern Israel, including a direct hit near Soroka Medical Centre in Be'er Sheva.
Israel confirmed incoming attacks in multiple locations and responded with airstrikes targeting Iran's Khondab nuclear facility, raising fears of a wider regional escalation.
Iranian state media reported that the Khondab heavy-water reactor had been evacuated before the Israeli strike, with no radiation risk detected.
In Holon near Tel Aviv, a missile strike seriously injured one person and wounded over two dozen others as a residential building collapsed.
Read: France to propose plan to end Iran-Israel conflict
Israeli reports also claimed that a part of a hospital's roof had collapsed due to shockwave from an Iranian strike, prompting an evacuation and warnings to the public to stay away.
"The military infrastructure was a precise and direct target," IRNA reported via Telegram.
Israeli attacks on Iran have killed more than 240 people, including at least 70 women and children, according to Iranian authorities. Other media sources have reported a higher death toll on the Iranian side.
In retaliation, Iran's missile attacks on Israel have killed at least 24 people and injured more than 800 others, according to officials in Tel Aviv.
Meanwhile, Iranian media state that the Israeli assault has resulted in 585 deaths and over 1,300 injuries in Iran.
UN watchdog fails to act as Israel attacks nuclear facilities in violation of international law
In a statement published by state media IRNA on Thursday, Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation said the attack struck both the Khondab research reactor and the adjoining heavy water complex.
Iran also revealed that repeated warnings had been submitted to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about potential Israeli threats, but claimed the UN's nuclear watchdog had taken no action to prevent the attacks.
Read: Israel-Iran conflict enters fifth day with ongoing missile strikes
EU foreign ministers to hold meeting with Iranian counterpart
The planned meeting, pending final confirmation from Tehran, could be the first high-level Western-Iranian contact since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched attacks on Iran, if approved.
On the other hand Araghchi, who spoke to his European counterparts via phone earlier this week, has so far declined to meet Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. He has cited ongoing Israeli attacks — allegedly sanctioned by Washington — as the reason. "It is impossible to engage while under assault," Araghchi said.
Discussions on Friday are expected to focus on Iran's nuclear programme and potential limitations. Tehran has signalled willingness to reduce its nuclear activity but insists it will not surrender unconditionally.
By now, the whole world should know that:
(1) Iran solely acts in self-defense. Even in the face of the most outrageous aggression against our people, Iran has so far only retaliated against the Israeli regime and not those who are aiding and abetting it. Just like Netanyahu… pic.twitter.com/cEUCaLHpAL — Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 18, 2025
Posting late Wednesday on social media, Araghchi maintained that Iran was acting in self-defence. 'Iran has proven in action what it has always publicly committed itself to: we have never sought and will never seek nuclear weapons,' he wrote. He stressed that Iran remains open to diplomacy — excluding any talks with Israel.
Israel claims interception of Iranian drones
Israeli media reported that Iran has launched approximately 1,000 drones toward Israel since the conflict erupted on June 13. Channel 12 News said fewer than 200 of those drones reached Israeli territory, and none hit their intended targets.
The latest exchange follows warnings from Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said any US strikes on Iranian territory would have 'serious irreparable consequences'.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Wednesday, President Donald Trump declined to say if he had made any decision on whether to join Israel's air campaign. "I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do," he said.
While no final decision has been announced, Trump confirmed that security consultations were ongoing with Israeli leadership.
Read more: Israeli strikes kill 140 in Gaza in 24 hours as focus shifts to Iran conflict
Amid rising tensions, the US embassy in Qatar restricted access for American personnel to the Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US military installation in the Middle East. A public advisory urged heightened vigilance, citing 'an abundance of caution'.
Japanese survivors of 1945 atomic bombings condemn Israeli attacks
The strike drew condemnation from Nihon Hidankyo, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning organisation representing survivors of the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
In a statement published by Japan's Jiji Press, the group expressed "strong indignation and anxiety," calling for an immediate ceasefire. "Attacks on nuclear facilities should never be tolerated," they said, adding that the world must learn from the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and reject weapons of mass destruction entirely.
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