Iran-Israel War News Live Updates: On conflict day 8, Israel strikes HQ of Iran's key nuclear project site, says military; IEAE confirms damages to Khondab reactor
Iran-Israel War Live News Updates: The Israeli military on Friday said that they attacked multiple facilities in Iran in overnight strikes, including the headquarters of a key nuclear weapons development site. In a statement, the Israeli military said that their targets for overnight strikes included the headquarters of SPND for research and development of nuclear weapons project. The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed damages to building at the Khondab Heavy Water Production Plant including its distillation unit, a day after stating that no damages were 'initially visible'
Casualty count: In fresh strikes, Iranian missiles targeted a hospital and residential structures in Tel Aviv, wounding over 200 people on Thursday night. According to AP, Israel's air campaign has targeted several nuclear and military sites, killing senior generals and nuclear scientists. A Washington-based Iranian human rights group reported that at least 639 people have been killed in Iran, including 263 civilians, and over 1,300 injured. In retaliation, Iran has launched around 400 missiles and hundreds of drones, killing at least 24 people in Israel and wounding hundreds.
Trump's 2-week deadline: After his ominous statement regarding launching strikes against Iran, US President Donald Trump said that he will decide in two weeks whether the US military will directly get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict or not, given the 'substantial chance' for renewed negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program. Earlier, Trump left the G7 summit in Canada a day early as the conflict between the two Middle Eastern countries deepened, but said that his hasty exit from the summit had nothing to do with negotiating a ceasefire between the nations.
Live Updates
13:36 (IST) 20 Jun 2025
Israel News LIVE Updates: What we know about Israel's secretive nuclear weapons program
Though Israel has never officially confirmed possessing nuclear weapons, experts widely regard it as the Middle East's worst kept secret, reported CNN. 'Israel is unique among nuclear-armed states as it neither confirms nor denies its nuclear capability,' notes the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Israel is one of nine nuclear-armed nations, alongside the US, Russia, China, the UK, France, India, Pakistan, and North Korea. Israel hasn't signed the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and opposes the creation of a WMD-free zone in the Middle East. However, it has ratified the 1963 Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which bans nuclear tests in the atmosphere and oceans.
(With inputs from CNN)
13:18 (IST) 20 Jun 2025
Israel News LIVE Updates: Iran's Red Crescent says five hospitals damaged in Israeli strikes
Five hospitals in Iran have been damaged amid Israeli airstrikes, according to Pirhossein Kolivand, head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society. In an interview with state-affiliated IRNA on Friday, Kolivand said the facilities were not directly targeted but suffered damage from nearby blasts — shattering glass and causing breathing issues for patients due to smoke.
He added that the incidents would be reported to international prosecutors. Under international humanitarian law, attacks affecting medical facilities are considered violations.
(With inputs from CNN)
12:51 (IST) 20 Jun 2025
Iran Israel News LIVE Updates: US, UK hold talks on Iran-Israel conflict
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and UK Foreign Minister David Lammy met in Washington on Thursday to discuss diplomatic efforts to contain the growing crisis. The meeting comes ahead of planned talks between Iran and European powers aimed at reviving nuclear diplomacy and preventing wider escalation.
Rubio and Lammy reaffirmed their shared position that Iran must "never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon,' according to a statement from the US State Department. The UK Foreign Office also confirmed that Lammy will meet on Friday in Geneva with the European Union's top diplomat and foreign ministers from France and Germany. The goal is to engage directly with Iran's foreign minister to de-escalate the situation.
(With inputs from Reuters)
12:31 (IST) 20 Jun 2025
Iran Israel News LIVE Updates: IAEA says key buildings damaged at Iran's Khondab site
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has information that key buildings at Iran's Khondab heavy water research site were damaged in Israeli strikes, including the distillation unit, it said in an X post on Friday. The information was an update on an assessment from Thursday, in which the IAEA said the reactor has been hit but there were no radiological effects.
(Reuters)
12:26 (IST) 20 Jun 2025
Iran Israel News LIVE Updates: Countries evacuating citizens from Iran and Israel
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.
Here are some of the countries whose citizens have left.
Australia
Austria
Bulgaria
China
Czech Republic
France
Germany
Greece
India
Italy
Japan
New Zealand
Poland
Portugal
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Slovakia
South Korea
Taiwan
United States
Vietnam
(Reuters)
12:21 (IST) 20 Jun 2025
Iran Israel News LIVE Updates: Iranian not prepared for talks while Israeli attacks continue, says Foreign Ministry
Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi tells State TV, "Iran not prepared for talks with anyone while Israeli attacks continues."
(Reuters)
12:17 (IST) 20 Jun 2025
Iran Israel News LIVE Updates: Israeli defence minister warns Hezbollah against joining conflict with Iran
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Lebanon's Hezbollah to exercise caution on Friday, saying Israel's patience with "terrorists" who threaten it had worn thin. The head of Iran-backed Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, said on Thursday that the Lebanese group would act as it saw fit in the face of what he called "brutal Israeli-American aggression" against Iran.
In other statements, the group has made no explicit pledge to join the fighting and a Hezbollah official told Reuters last week that the group did not intend to initiate attacks against Israel.
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Business Standard
25 minutes ago
- Business Standard
What is Samson Option, Israel's nuclear threat that's no longer a theory?
Tensions between Israel and Iran have escalated sharply after 'Operation Rising Lion' — Israel's largest strike on Iranian nuclear sites since the 1981 Osirak raid. Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks, straining Israeli defence systems and prompting fears of wider conflict. With Hezbollah mobilising in the north, Houthi threats rising in the Red Sea, and the possibility of a multi-front war looming, Israeli security doctrine is under renewed global scrutiny. At the centre of that attention is the Samson Option, Israel's undeclared but long-assumed nuclear last-resort policy. Once regarded as a Cold War-era relic, the Samson Option has re-emerged as a global worry with serious implications for global security, defence markets, and diplomatic stability. What is the Samson Option? The Samson Option is widely understood as Israel's nuclear last-resort strategy: threat of massive retaliation if the country's survival is at stake. The name is derived from a reference of the biblical figure Samson, who brought down a Philistine temple upon himself and his enemies, an allegory for apocalyptic deterrence. Though Israel has never confirmed possessing nuclear weapons, its policy of 'Amimut' (Israel's policy of neither confirming nor denying the possession of nuclear weapons), or deliberate ambiguity, has kept adversaries guessing. However, foreign assessments suggest Israel has 80 to 400 nuclear warheads, with delivery systems spanning land-based missiles, submarines, and aircraft. The doctrine entered public discourse in the 1990s via US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, who, in his book The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy, explored Israel's nuclear journey and its relation with the United States. Since then, Israel hardened its 'strategic ambiguity' concept over the possession of a nuclear arsenal. How did Israel build its nuclear arsenal? Israel's nuclear journey began in the 1950s, with the then Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion envisioning a survival insurance policy for the newly-formed Jewish nation. With covert help from France and Norway, Israel established the Dimona nuclear facility, presented publicly as a research centre. By the time of the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel is believed to have constructed its first nuclear weapon. Who is Samson, and why is Israel's nuclear policy named after him? The doctrine's name draws from the Book of Judges, where Samson, betrayed, blinded, and imprisoned, sacrifices himself to destroy his enemies. This story, ingrained in Israeli strategic thinking, underlines the nation's message: if its destruction is imminent, it will not go quietly. Yet unlike the doomed biblical hero, modern Israel is a technologically advanced military power. The Samson Option, therefore, is not desperation, but a calculated deterrent, designed to force potential adversaries to think twice. What nuclear weapons does Israel have? Although never confirmed, Israel is among the nine nuclear-armed nations alongside the United States, Russia, China, the UK, France, India, Pakistan, and North Korea. Estimates suggest Israel possesses about 90 warheads, with enough plutonium to build up to 200 more, according to the Nuclear Threat Initiative. Its arsenal is believed to include: > Aircraft: Modified F-15, F-16, and F-35 jets capable of carrying nuclear payloads. > Submarines: Six Dolphin-class submarines, reportedly capable of launching nuclear cruise missiles. > Ballistic missiles: The land-based Jericho missile family, with a range of up to 4,000 km. Around 24 of these missiles are believed to be nuclear-capable. What was the Vela incident? Israel is the only nuclear power which has not openly conducted a nuclear test. The closest indication came in September 1979, when US satellites detected a double flash over the South Atlantic, an event known as the 'Vela Incident'. At the time, US President Jimmy Carter reportedly believed Israel had conducted a nuclear test in collaboration with apartheid-era South Africa. 'We have a growing belief among our scientists that the Israelis did indeed conduct a nuclear test,' Carter later wrote in his diaries, which were made public in 2010. Despite speculation, Israel has never confirmed its involvement in the incident. How was Israel's nuclear arsenal revealed to the world? In October 1986, former nuclear technician Mordechai Vanunu exposed Israel's nuclear programme in an explosive interview with the Sunday Times. Having worked at the Dimona plant for nearly a decade, Vanunu revealed that Israel was capable of producing 1.2 kg of plutonium per week, enough for 12 warheads annually. He also disclosed how Israeli officials had deceived US inspectors during visits in the 1960s with false walls and concealed elevators, hiding entire underground levels of the facility. Vanunu was later abducted by Mossad in Rome, tried in Israel, and sentenced to 18 years in prison, spending over half that time in solitary confinement. Even after his release in 2004, he remains under strict surveillance, barred from foreign travel and media engagement. With West Asia at the edge of a potential multi-front war, Israel's Samson Option has moved from the realm of whispered deterrence to an option in real-world decision-making. Its existence, unconfirmed but globally acknowledged, adds a nuclear dimension to an already combustible region.
The Wire
30 minutes ago
- The Wire
India Did Go to the G7, But It is Still Alarmingly Isolated in the World
Now that the G7 summit is done and dusted, we may try to assess whether it has helped India break its disastrous isolation that Operation Sindoor revealed. , prime minister Narendra Modi did get a last-minute invitation to join the G7, but not as a participant – only as an observer. There was jubilation among his lesser-informed fans, fanned also by his multi-million rupee IT cells and the enthralled majority in Indian media. The narrative was that he is too important not to be invited and that India is not isolated, or never was. It is, was and continues to remain the Vishwaguru. Facts, unfortunately, speak otherwise and the drift is just too stark, even for jaundiced eyes to miss. History will surely contrast India's current isolation with the post-colonial decades (1940s to 1960s), when Jawaharlal Nehru and India strode like a colossus among the newly liberated nations. Her draconian Emergency notwithstanding, Indira Gandhi will never be forgotten for giving India its finest hour in 1971 by dismembering Pakistan and forcing 93,000 troops to surrender in Dhaka. These are the stuff of legends – however much we dispute, denigrate or deny. The present 'hyphenation' of India with Pakistan, an almost failed state, is a deliberate insult inflicted on Modi's India to cut to a realistic size and to taunt a drum-beaten narrative that we are almost a superpower. True, India's self respect was salvaged when PM Modi was invited by the new Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney – of Harvard and Oxford, former Governor of the Bank of Canada and then of England, overrode objections from cantankerous Sikh separatists. But to what effect? America, the very fulcrum of G7, disappeared from the scene after Trump gave just a sneering glance and left – to avoid the overtures of the European heads, keen to catch his ear, to drill some sense. Not only could Modi not hug his dear Donald for photo ops, but he had to gulp the ignominy of watching the big man wine and dine his bête noire, the dreadful de facto ruler of Pakistan, Field Marshal Asim Munir. This lunch may have been offered to distance him from Iran, but now that the wily soldier has declared publicly that Trump must get the Nobel Prize for peace, the blonde man is just swooning. All of Modi's efforts to woo him with delirious Indian crowds screaming ' Abki baar, ' at Houston's 'Howdy, Modi' bash has gone down the drain. The bells have been clanging quite cacophonously for India – when, after hyphenating and equating Pak with India, the west-dominated the UN Security Council went a step forward to torpedo India's righteous indignation at Pakistan sponsored terrorism that killed 26 innocents at Pahalgam. India's screams notwithstanding, the UN Security Council declared Munir's Pakistan to be the vice chair of the committee to combat terrorism. "Friend" Russia looked on, with a smirk, as India's recent track record of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds backfired. It hurts all of us and more tragic is the fact that even after two full months, India could neither produce evidence before the international community. Nor could it enforce 'accountability at the highest levels' for the "intelligence failure" at Pahalgam that India's former Army chief, General Shankar Roychowdhury, had openly declared and . The UN Security Council also appointed Pakistan as chair of the Taliban sanctions committee. This is not only ironic, but a repayment with compound interest. In fact, Human Rights Watch, an international organisation that 'new' India reviles for its constant criticism of India's track record over the last 11 years, had boldly recorded Pakistani involvement with the Taliban, long ago. It said: 'Pakistan's army and intelligence services, principally the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI), contribute to making the Taliban a highly effective military force'. But, since then, much water has flowed down the Indus, on which India has no tap, despite our current bluster to stop water. We chose not to hear these bells and blame it all on the Trump family's commercial interest in World Liberty Financial's new deal with Pakistan – to make it 'the crypto capital of South Asia" and a "global leader in the digital finance revolution." Back to our theme that India is completely isolated, especially after Operation Sindoor, we sifted through every phrase uttered at the pined-for G7 summit but could find not a word of support for India's justified war on terror. Even the Pahalgam attack was taken up by G7 only after India launched its operation against Pakistan. On the third day of the furious battle of aircrafts, missiles and drones (with no boots on the ground), the G7 did wake to 'strongly condemn the egregious terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22' without pointing fingers. But G7's chief focus was to 'urge maximum restraint from both India and Pakistan' (note how both are equated) and to 'call for immediate de-escalation and …engage in direct dialogue towards a peaceful outcome.' This is when the calculated blunderbuss Trump walked in to claim he pulled apart the two fighting children. To drive home USA's infatuation with Pakistan, the US Central Command chief General Michael Kurilla said that America appreciates Munir's cooperation against the Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS‑KP). At the G7 Summit, nations waited for Trump to ramp up pressure on Russia and the Group was ready to lower the price cap on Russian oil from $ 60 to $ 45 dollars per barrel. This would drastically decrease Russia's oil revenues that financed its war in Ukraine. Not only did Trump veto the proposal (rewarding Putin) but he expressed his undisguised annoyance at G7 for dropping Russia from the original G8. Those Indian GDP enthusiasts who swear that high GDP means world power may note that Russia figures nowhere in the list of top 10 GDP countries. These consist of the G7 ones and China, India and Brazil. So, India's fourth GDP rank counts for so little in the Game of Thrones. Salt on wounds do not seem to stop as Trump is even reported to have suggested inclusion of China into a new G9. Wasn't he at Xi Jinping's throat – until the latter kicked his anatomy where it hurts the most? India's foreign office must surely have noted Trump's penchant for kissing those who behave the worst. Remember how passionately he had wooed the terribly unreliable Kim Jongun of North Korea? But not even mentioning India to expand it to G 10 is a diabolical outrage, meant to wake us up to play rugger the way he does. Incidentally, this G7 summit was among the rarest – from which no joint communique could be issued – so fragmented are the big boys. It is time for India to assiduously befriend just two of the European four and try to strengthen positive relations with Japan to the next level. If China and Türkiye can stand rock-like behind Pakistan, India can not be so hopelessly isolated that not one major country comes out boldly, as an all-weather friend. Well, PM Modi did get a day's rest in Canada when the leaders of G7 huddled together, without the other 'invitees'. He figured not in the actual G7 photo, but in that of the extended group – standing somewhere on the second row, looking lost as others were busy networking. It goes, however, to a dignified, erudite Canadian PM's credit that he kept the few handful of Sikh agitators at bay and took positive steps to normalise relations with India. And, surely, PM Modi must have held bilateral talks with most – and one sincerely hopes that they begin to matter. After all, his visit to a record total of 74 countries so far could not persuade even one country– even Guyana or Fiji or Papua New Guinea would do, to begin with – to come out and say that they condemn Pakistan's terrorists and support India's retaliation. Also read: Rousing Rhetoric for Diaspora, Tourist Spot Visits, Courting Domestic Voter Base: What MPs Did Abroad The hyper-publicised seven 'all party' delegations are back home after visiting 32 countries. My former colleagues in parliament must all be tired. But the 31 political leaders from the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) must now be happy that Modi has finally cast his benevolent gaze at them – after excluding most, for years together, from either importance or power. The 20 politicians from 'other parties' are also grateful for this unique world tour and one of them weaponised it against the detractors in his party. Fine, but it is doubtful if even one of the 32 countries visited would stand up for India. But politics is politics and neither performance nor results matter – something else does. That's why I left it. We have taken the PM and his prickly, ultra-pontificating foreign minister to task in the earlier piece for landing us in such a friendless world. But we also have to admit that there is surely a strong malicious tinge in this west's disaffirmation of India's indisputable economic elevation. India's manufactured superpower narrative is also hot air, because economic growth is only one factor. History shows that no nation has ever been conferred a place on the high table without facing initial scorn, condescension and trial by fire. England, for instance, was just pooh-poohed as a nation of shopkeepers until Poseidon (or Varun) intervened with unruly storms in 1588, for Francis Drake to defeat the invincible Spanish Armada. But, England continued to face ridicule from the continental powers that dominated land warfare and its conquests in India and elsewhere attributed to a cocktail of fluke and bribery. It was only after Wellington managed to defeat Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815, with dollops of timely assistance from Field Marshal Blucher and his merciless Prussian cavalry that England mattered. If we look intently at each one of the other nations of G7, we will understand how much blood and gore they have gone through in the past centuries. In fact, the dropped-out eighth nation, Russia, alone has witnessed more death and devastation than any other country. What is more relevant is that the entire population of these nations was involved and every village lost her sons. There was, therefore, no time for pampered citizens to indulge in warmongering from air-conditioned homes. Those mercenary TV anchors who won imaginary victories in Pakistan (and their counterparts there) have brought shame to the profession and are now a laughing stock among informed global citizens. India's isolation is a current reality and while we break out of it with all we have in us, we must also realise that 'demeaning an upstart' is left-handed recognition. The rest of the nation's journey up is long, perilous and, hopefully, less violent. Jawhar Sircar is a former Rajya Sabha MP of the Trinamool Congress. He was earlier Secretary, Government of India, and CEO of Prasar Bharati.
News18
33 minutes ago
- News18
'Disgraceful': UK PM Slams RAF Jets Vandalisation By Pro-Palestinian Activists
Last Updated: A statement by Palestine Action said that the activists exited the Oxfordshire base without being apprehended. Meanwhile, UK Defence Ministry condemned the incident. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the 'vandalisation" of two planes by the pro-Palestinian activists on Friday. This comes as the UK police have begun searching for suspects after pro-Palestinian activists claimed to have broken into a Royal Air Force Base and damaged two planes with red paint. The group Palestine Action said two members entered RAF Brize Norton on Wednesday and used electric scooters to approach the Voyager jets, which are used for air-to-air refuelling. Referring to the 'act of vandalism" as 'disgraceful", PM Keir Starmer wrote on X, 'The act of vandalism committed at RAF Brize Norton is disgraceful. Our Armed Forces represent the very best of Britain and put their lives on the line for us every day. It is our responsibility to support those who defend us." The act of vandalism committed at RAF Brize Norton is Armed Forces represent the very best of Britain and put their lives on the line for us every day. It is our responsibility to support those who defend us. — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 20, 2025 A video shared online by Palestine Action on Friday captured two individuals inside an airbase in Oxfordshire at night. One of them was seen riding a scooter toward an Airbus Voyager aircraft and spraying paint into one of its jet engines. Pro-Palestinian activists from the group Palestine Action broke into RAF Brize Norton, the largest Royal Air Force base in the UK, located in they vandalized two Airbus Voyager refueling aircraft. Using electric scooters, the activists approached the planes… — T_CAS videos (@tecas2000) June 20, 2025 According to Palestine Action, the activists exited the Oxfordshire base without being apprehended. In a statement, the group said, 'despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US/Israeli fighter jets." It went on to describe the UK as 'an active participant in the Gaza genocide and war crimes across the Middle East." Meanwhile, the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed the incident and stated, 'We strongly condemn this vandalism of Royal Air Force assets." Aircraft from RAF Brize Norton, located around 70 miles (112 kilometres) northwest of London, frequently operate flights to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, which serves as Britain's primary base for military operations in the Middle East. Following the escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict a week ago, the UK has deployed additional Typhoon fighter jets and Voyager refuelling aircraft to Cyprus. Prime Minister Keir Starmer described this move as 'contingency support." Meanwhile, Iran has warned it will target military bases belonging to the US, France, and the UK in the region if they assist Israel in defending against Iranian attacks. First Published: June 20, 2025, 16:44 IST
