Israel decares state of emergency amid Iran attacks
conflict world about 1 hour ago
Explosions have boomed across Iran's capital Tehran overnight as Israel launched an attack on the country's military facilities. The attack has reportedly killed the chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guard and other high-ranking regime officials. Meanwhile a state of emergency has been declared in Israel, with air raid sirens ringing out as Iran vows to retaliate. BBC's Middle East editor Sebastian Usher spoke to Lisa Owen.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
4 hours ago
- RNZ News
'We knew everything,' Trump says about Israel's strikes on Iran
By Steve Holland , Reuters US President Donald Trump says he knew Israel planned to attack Iran, and had pressed Iran to make a deal over its nuclear programme (file photo). Photo: AFP / Andrew Caballero-Reynolds After months of urging Israel not to strike Iran while he worked toward a nuclear deal, President Donald Trump told Reuters in a phone interview on Friday that he and his team had known the attacks were coming - and still saw room for an accord. "We knew everything, and I tried to save Iran humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out," Trump said. "They can still work out a deal, however, it's not too late," he added. Trump had repeatedly pushed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay an Israeli attack to give diplomacy more time, though the president himself had threatened to bomb the Gulf nation if nuclear talks failed. Trump's shifting stance around the Israeli strikes, which he called "excellent" and "very successful" in a series of media interviews on Friday, offered one of the most striking examples yet of how he conducts high-stakes negotiations through both frank public rhetoric and behind-the-scenes manoeuvres. The US president offered support for Israel's decision to launch a series of devastating raids in Iran, showing a willingness to embrace the use of military force to set back Tehran's nuclear program. In contrast, some allies stressed the need for restraint. Asked if the US would support Israel against Iranian counterattacks, Trump said he supported Israel. He said he was not concerned about a regional war breaking out as a result of Israel's strikes but did not elaborate. We've been very close to Israel. We're their number one ally by far," Trump told Reuters, adding, "We'll see what happens." Later on Friday, two US officials said the US military had helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed toward Israel. Still uncertain is whether Trump's attempt to reach an agreement with Iran to halt uranium enrichment is still viable, with a sixth round of talks still scheduled for Sunday in Oman but now in doubt after the attacks. In negotiations with Iran, Trump sought to persuade the Iranians to give up uranium enrichment and was awaiting a counter-proposal from Iran. Tehran had balked at giving up enrichment, seemingly leaving little room for an agreement. "They seek enrichment. We can't have enrichment," Trump told reporters on Monday. As the week wore on, Trump sounded increasingly resigned to the prospect that Israel would strike and hinted that he knew more than he was willing to talk about publicly. "I don't want to say it's imminent, but it looks like something that could very well happen. Look, it's very simple, not complicated. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Other than that, I want them to be successful," he told reporters on Thursday before the raids began. Speaking to Reuters on Friday, Trump said he had given the Iranians 60 days to come to an agreement and that the time had expired with no deal. "We knew just about everything," he said. "We knew enough that we gave Iran 60 days to make a deal and today is 61, right? So, you know, we knew everything. Trump said it was unclear if Iran still has a nuclear program following Israeli strikes on the country. "Nobody knows. It was a very devastating hit," Trump said. Israel said it had targeted Iran's nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders at the start of what it warned would be a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon. Trump said the US still has nuclear talks planned with Iran on Sunday but he was unsure they would take place. US special envoy Steve Witkoff was scheduled to meet an Iranian delegation in Oman. "They're not dead," Trump said of the US-Iran talks. "We have a meeting with them on Sunday. Now, I'm not sure if that meeting will take place, but we have a meeting with them on Sunday." The president had convened his top national security advisers at Camp David on Sunday night for what he said were discussions that included Iran, and he spoke to Netanyahu on Monday about Iran. A White House official said Trump spoke with Netanyahu again on Friday. Trump also held talks about the attacks with his National Security Council in the White House Situation Room. No details of the discussions were immediately available. - Reuters
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
Israeli ministers banned
Photo: AFP/JACK GUEZ Earlier in the week New Zealand joined several countries including the UK in imposing a travel ban on two Israeli politicians. Foreign Minister Winston Peters says Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have "actively undermined peace and security." Mihi spoke to former chief editor of the Associated Press for Europe, Africa and the Middle East - and author - Dan Perry who is based in Tel Aviv.
RNZ News
9 hours ago
- RNZ News
Donald Trump says Israel strikes on Iran were 'very successful'
People gather outside a building that was hit by an Israeli strike in Tehran on 13 June, 2025. Photo: MEGHDAD MADADI / TASNIM NEWS / AFP Catch up with what happened overnight on our blog: The Israeli military said it struck on Friday Iran's nuclear facility in Isfahan as it pressed on with its strikes on the Islamic republic. "I can now confirm that we struck the nuclear facility in Isfahan. The operation is still ongoing," military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin told journalists. Earlier an Israeli military official said Israel is prepared to continue striking Iran for days. Israel's air strikes killed Iran's three most senior military commanders and a number of its top nuclear scientists, and followed days of escalating tensions over Iran's efforts to develop nuclear weapons technology. A barrage of 100 drones launched by Iran towards Israel in response appeared to have largely been intercepted by Israeli air defences, however the IDF says it is anticipating further retaliatory strikes - possibly with ballistic missiles - over the coming days. Israeli authorities claim it acted out of self-defence, saying Iran is close to building a nuclear weapon. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday (local time) that the Iranian people expected the European Union and the broader international community to condemn Israel's "criminal attack". US President Donald Trump said he knew of the plan to attack, and he hopes that Iran will continue negotiations with the US this weekend on curbing its nuclear programme. - ABC/AFP
