Israel's military warns people to evacuate the area around Iran's Arak heavy water reactor
Israel's military warned people Thursday to evacuate the area around Iran's Arak heavy water reactor.
The warning came in a social media post on X. It included a satellite image of the plant in a red circle like other warnings that proceeded strikes.
The Arak heavy water reactor is 250 kilometers (155 miles) southwest of Tehran.
Heavy water helps cool nuclear reactors, but it produces plutonium as a byproduct that can potentially be used in nuclear weapons. That would provide Iran another path to the bomb beyond enriched uranium, should it choose to pursue the weapon.
Iran had agreed under its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers to redesign the facility to relieve proliferation concerns.
In 2019, Iran started up the heavy water reactor's secondary circuit, which at the time did not violate Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
Britain at the time was helping Iran redesign the Arak reactor to limit the amount of plutonium it produces, stepping in for the U.S., which had withdrawn from the project after President Donald Trump's decision in 2018 to unilaterally withdraw America from the nuclear deal.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, has been urging Israel not to strike Iranian nuclear sites. IAEA inspectors reportedly last visited Arak on May 14.
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Reuters
27 minutes ago
- Reuters
Countries evacuating citizens from Iran and Israel
June 19 (Reuters) - Countries around the world are taking measures to evacuate their citizens from Israel and Iran as the two nations enter the seventh day of their air war and airspace in the region remains closed. A week of Israeli air and missile strikes against its major rival has wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command, damaged its nuclear capabilities and killed hundreds of people, while Iranian retaliatory strikes have killed at least two dozen civilians in Israel. The Australian government evacuated a small group from Israel through a land border crossing on Wednesday, and would look for more opportunities over the next day, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Thursday. Around 1,500 Australians in Iran have registered for assistance, with another 1,200 Australians in Israel seeking to leave, Wong told reporters. Bulgaria has evacuated 17 of its diplomats and their families from Iran to Azerbaijan and is planning to repatriate them by land and air, the Bulgarian government said on Thursday. It said an administration at the Bulgarian embassy in Tehran was moving temporarily to Baku. China has evacuated more than 1,600 citizens from Iran and hundreds more from Israel, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday. Several thousand Chinese nationals are thought to reside in oil-rich Iran, according to state media reports. Diplomats and embassy staff from Tel Aviv and Tehran will leave most probably by land, Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman said. France will arrange convoy by the end of the week to get French nationals without their own means of doing so to the Turkish or Armenian borders from Iran to access airports in those countries, French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Thursday. French citizens in Israel will be able to board buses starting Friday morning from the Jordanian border for airports in Jordan, with a flight chartered from Amman by the end of the week to aid the passage of French citizens who are vulnerable or in emergency situations, Barrot said. Greece has evacuated 16 of its nationals and their families by land from Iran to Azerbaijan and is now working on their repatriation to Greece, the foreign ministry said on Thursday. India said on Wednesday it has launched "Operation Sindhu" to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran. So far 110 Indian students have been evacuated from northern Iran, having crossed over into Armenia on June 17, India's foreign ministry said. The Indian Embassy in Iran has been assisting Indians in moving from areas seeing increased hostilities to relatively safer areas within the country and to subsequently evacuate them. Italy is organizing commercial flights from Amman in the next days to allow its about 20,000 nationals living in Israel to leave the country if they ask for it, Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on X. 29 of the about 500 Italian nationals leaving in Iran already left the country on Wednesday with assistance from the government, a diplomatic source said, adding it wasn't a proper evacuation. Japan's top government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Thursday Japan would send two Self-Defense Forces transport aircraft to Djibouti in eastern Africa in preparation for the evacuation of Japanese nationals from Iran and Israel. He also said the Japanese embassies in Israel and Iran were preparing to evacuate Japanese nationals to neighbouring countries by bus, with plans to implement evacuation as early as Thursday. New Zealand has temporarily closed its Tehran embassy and evacuated two staff and their family by land to Azerbaijan. New Zealand's government warned that closed airspace limited how they can assist citizens requesting to leave. Foreign Minister Winston Peters added that consular partners are considering evacuation flights when air space reopens and the government is working closely with Australia. The Nigerian Government is finalizing arrangements for the emergency evacuation of stranded Nigerians in both countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Thursday. Norwegian foreign affairs ministry told Reuters it had no plans to evacuate Norwegian citizens from Iran, adding it had advised against travel to Iran for a long time. Norway's embassy remains operational in Tehran but currently does not accept visits from the public, its foreign ministry said. A group of Polish citizens evacuated from Iran landed in Warsaw on Thursday morning, ending the evacuation from the country, the Foreign Ministry's spokesperson told journalists. The first plane evacuated from Israel landed in Warsaw on Wednesday morning and a second one is expected on Thursday afternoon from Amman, with 65 people on board. Portugal has temporarily shut its embassy in Iran and evacuated four of its citizens via Azerbaijan. It has received 130 repatriation requests from citizens in Israel and is organising a repatriation flight, expected to land in Portugal later on Thursday, the foreign ministry said. A group of 100 Serbs have fled Israel via Egypt, ambassador Miroljub Petrovic said on Thursday. Eighteen South Korean nationals and two of their family members who are Iranian nationals were evacuated by land from Iran, South Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday. The United States is working to evacuate U.S. citizens wishing to leave Israel by arranging flights and cruise ship departures, U.S. ambassador Mike Huckabee said in a post on X on Wednesday.
The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
Starmer warns of ‘real risk' in Middle East as Trump mulls bombing Iran
Sir Keir Starmer has urged Donald Trump to step back from military action against Iran which could deepen the crisis in the Middle East. The Prime Minister said there is a 'real risk of escalation' in the conflict as he urged all sides to seek a diplomatic outcome. He said there had previously been 'several rounds of discussions with the US' and 'that, to me, is the way to resolve this issue'. His comments came as Foreign Secretary David Lammy is taking the UK's plea for de-escalation to Washington, where he will meet Mr Trump's top diplomat Marco Rubio. Mr Lammy and US Secretary of State Mr Rubio will discuss the situation in the Middle East on Thursday evening. Iran and Israel continued striking each other's territory overnight as the crisis deepens. A hospital in southern Israel was hit by a missile, while a heavy water facility in Iran was targeted in the latest blow against Tehran's nuclear programme. The hospital attack led defence minister Israel Katz to say Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 'absolutely should not continue to exist' – in a sign that plans to kill him could be revived after previously being vetoed by Mr Trump. Mr Lammy's meeting in Washington comes amid speculation US involvement could require using the UK-controlled Diego Garcia base in the Chagos Islands. The B-2 stealth bombers based there are capable of carrying specialised 'bunker buster' bombs which could be used against Iran's underground nuclear facility at Fordo. UK Attorney General Lord Hermer is reported to have raised legal concerns about any potential British involvement in the conflict beyond defending its allies, something which could limit the extent of any support for the US if Mr Trump decides to act militarily. Sir Keir said: 'There's a real risk of escalation here that will impact the region, possibly beyond the region, akin to Gaza, and obviously it's already having an impact on the economy.' In relation to Lord Hermer, the Prime Minister said: 'The Attorney's advice is never disclosed by any government, but I can tell you the principle, the driving intent, which is that de-escalation. 'It's very clear: yes, we need to deal with the nuclear programme, there's no doubt about that in my mind, but it is better dealt with as a negotiated outcome. 'De-escalate and get to that point. 'There have been several rounds of discussions with the US. That, to me, is the way to resolve this issue.' Mr Lammy will be taking that message to Washington but UK officials do not know which way the unpredictable US president will go. Reports have suggested he has already approved a plan for an attack but has so far not decided whether to launch it. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called on the Government to publish Lord Hermer's advice, saying: 'The last thing we need is for the UK to be dragged into another illegal war in the Middle East by the US.' Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said: 'I don't think we can hide behind legal advice at a time of crisis and national security when we have to work alongside our biggest ally in the world, the United States, when they look to us for potentially… setting out operational activities through our own military bases.' She said the Conservative Party would support British involvement in military action against Iran if it was deemed necessary. Iran has insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful, but it is the only non-nuclear-armed state to enrich uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90% and far in excess of the levels required for power stations. A No 10 spokesman said: 'We have been very clear that Iran's nuclear programme has never been as advanced as it is today, it is a clear threat to international security. 'But we are urging all parties to show restraint and return to diplomacy. We are clear that Iran must not develop a nuclear weapon and we will use all diplomatic means available to deliver this.' The Government is also under pressure to step-up support for Britons stranded in Israel after the airspace was closed, a measure Benjamin Netanyahu's administration is under pressure to lift from countries eager to get their citizens home. The Foreign Office has evacuated family members of embassy staff from Israel based on a specific assessment of the risks they face, but has not provided similar transport out of Israel to other Britons. Britons have already been advised against all travel to Israel and those already in the country have been urged to register their presence with the embassy. US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said officials are working to get 'military, commercial, charter flights and cruise ships' for an evacuation of Americans. Asked about the difference between the US support and the UK approach, the No 10 spokesman said: 'There's a huge amount of work being done in the background on contingency planning. It is a fast-moving situation and we keep all our advice and planning under constant review.'
Daily Mirror
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Inside Iran's secret nuclear bunker that's 260ft deep underground
The heavily guarded mysterious Fordow bunker is built into the side of a mountain near the city of Qom, around 60 miles of Tehran. It was first made public in 2009, according to officials The world is nervously awaiting Donald Trump's decision whether to strike Iran's secretive nuclear bunker hidden in the mountains. The heavily guarded mysterious Fordow bunker is built into the side of a mountain near the city of Qom, around 60 miles of Tehran. It is believed to have started around 2006, but was first made public in 2009, according to officials. It is a staggering 260ft under rock and soil, with the site said to be protected by Iranian and Russian surface-to-air missile systems. However, those air defences have likely already been struck by Israel during the conflict. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the goal of attacking Iran was to eliminate its missile and nuclear program, which he described as an existential threat to Israel, and officials have said Fordow was part of that plan. 'This entire operation ... really has to be completed with the elimination of Fordo,' Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the US, said last Friday. Why is the Fordow nuclear bunker being targeted? Fordow is Iran's second nuclear enrichment facility after Natanz, its main facility, which has already been targeted by Israeli airstrikes. The International Atomic Energy Agency believes the strikes have had 'direct impacts' on the facility's underground centrifuge halls. Fordo is smaller than Natanz, and is built into the side of a mountain near the city of Qom. Construction is believed to have started around 2006 and it became first operational in 2009 — the same year Tehran publicly acknowledged its existence. In addition to being an estimated 260 feet under rock and soil, the site is reportedly protected by Iranian and Russian surface-to-air missile systems. Those air defences, however, likely have already been struck in the Israeli campaign. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the goal of attacking Iran was to eliminate its missile and nuclear program, which he described as an existential threat to Israel, and officials have said Fordo was part of that plan. Why is Donald Trump waiting? Reports claim Donald Trump has approved plans for a US attack on nuclear sites in Iran. However, the president is holding off on plans for now in case Iran agrees to give up its nuclear programme, which it claims it is maintained for peaceful purposes. Despite this, Iran also enriches uranium up to 60%, a short step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Iran is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich at that level. Israel is the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East but does not acknowledge having such weapons. US officials said this week that President Donald Trump had rejected an Israeli plan to kill Khamenei. Trump later said there were no plans to kill him 'at least not for now.' The strikes came a day after Iran's supreme leader rejected US calls for surrender and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause 'irreparable damage to them.' Does the US need to be involved? At the moment, only the US has configured and programmed its B-2 Spirit stealth bomber to deliver the bomb, according to the Air Force. The B-2 is only flown by the Air Force, and is produced by Northrop Grumman. According to the manufacturer, the B-2 can carry a payload of 40,000 pounds but the US Air Force has said it has successfully tested the B-2 loaded with two GBU-57 A/B bunker busters — a total weight of some 60,000 pounds. The strategic long-range heavy bomber has a range of about 7,000 miles without refueling and 11,500 miles with one refueling, and can reach any point in the world within hours, according to Northrop Grumman.
