ISLAMABAD (PEN) : Iran and Israel launched fresh military strikes early Saturday, intensifying a conflict sparked by Tehran’s refusal to negotiate its nuclear program while under attack. Meanwhile, European efforts to revive diplomacy appear stalled.
Israeli Strikes Target Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Iran’s Fars news agency reported Israeli strikes on the Isfahan nuclear facility, one of Iran’s largest, with no leakage of hazardous materials detected. Iranian media also confirmed an attack on a building in Qom city, initially reporting one teenager killed and two injured.
In response, the Israeli military announced a series of air raids targeting Iranian missile storage and launch sites. Shortly after 2:30 a.m. local time, missile sirens sounded across central Israel, including Tel Aviv and parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, as Iran fired five ballistic missiles. Israel’s air defenses intercepted the attacks, with no immediate reports of missile impacts or casualties.
Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency service, shared images showing a rooftop fire in a multi-story building caused by intercepted missile debris.
Escalation Amid Ongoing Dispute Over Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions
The hostilities began on June 13, with Israel accusing Iran of advancing toward nuclear weapon development, a claim Tehran denies, insisting its nuclear program is peaceful. Israel, widely believed to possess nuclear arms though neither confirming nor denying, has conducted airstrikes killing 639 people in Iran, including military leaders and nuclear scientists, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
Iran’s missile attacks have killed 24 civilians in Israel. Reuters has not independently verified casualty figures for either side.
Diplomatic Stalemate and International Reactions
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated there would be no negotiations with the U.S. “until Israeli aggression stops,” even as he arrived in Geneva to meet European foreign ministers aiming to resume talks.
U.S. President Donald Trump emphasized the urgency of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, saying Iran could have one “within a matter of weeks, or certainly within a matter of months.” He dismissed European attempts at mediation and expressed skepticism over a ceasefire, noting, “Iran doesn’t want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us.”
Trump also said the U.S. would take up to two weeks to decide on entering the conflict alongside Israel but suggested he was unlikely to pressure Israel to reduce airstrikes.
Calls for De-escalation and Security Council Responses
Israel’s UN envoy Danny Danon reaffirmed that attacks would continue until “Iran’s nuclear threat is dismantled.” Iran’s UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani urged Security Council action, expressing alarm over possible U.S. involvement.
Russia and China have called for immediate de-escalation, while a senior Iranian official indicated willingness to discuss uranium enrichment limits, but rejected proposals to completely halt enrichment, especially amid ongoing Israeli strikes.
