Israel intensified its military campaign against Iran targeting missile storage and launch infrastructure across multiple cities. Explosions were reported near Tehran, Rasht and along the Caspian coast, even as US President Donald Trump weighed whether the United States should join the conflict. Tehran has accused Washington of betraying diplomacy by supporting Israeli operations while simultaneously pursuing talks.
President Trump gave Iran a two-week deadline to engage meaningfully in negotiations but cast doubt on whether any diplomatic resolution was still possible. Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Israel’s surprise strikes undermined any remaining trust, calling them a “betrayal to diplomacy”. Iran has refused to resume nuclear talks unless Israel halts its aggression.
As the conflict deepens, missiles have continued to rain on Israeli cities. Fires broke out in Beersheba and Holon after fragments from intercepted projectiles struck residential areas. The death toll from the war, now into its second week, has surpassed 650 in Iran and left dozens dead in Israel.
Here are the 10 key developments from the Israel-Iran conflict:
Trump signals military action likely if diplomacy fails
President Donald Trump suggested time was running out for diplomacy. “I’m giving them a period of time and I would say two weeks would be the maximum,” he said, indicating he might approve strikes if Iran did not change course. While reaffirming that he was “always a peacemaker,” he hinted at tougher steps, particularly targeting the Fordo nuclear facility.
Trump dismissed a key intelligence assessment on Iran’s nuclear intentions, openly disagreeing with his Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard. Speaking to reporters in New Jersey, Trump said, “Then my intelligence community was wrong.” When told the assessment had come from Gabbard, he added: “She’s wrong.”
Also read: Trump says Tulsi Gabbard was 'wrong' on Iran's nuclear programme
Gabbard had earlier told lawmakers that US intelligence agencies believed Iran had “not made a decision to build a nuclear weapon.”
Trump also cast doubt on Iran’s civilian nuclear energy claims, questioning the country’s intentions: “They’re sitting on top of one of the largest piles of oil in the world. I just don’t know why they’d need that for civilian purposes.”
Iran’s foreign minister says US used talks as ‘cover’ for Israeli strikes
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi accused the US of deceit. In an interview with NBC, he claimed the US used the upcoming Geneva negotiations as a distraction while Israel launched fresh strikes. “What they did was in fact a betrayal to diplomacy,” he said. Araghchi insisted that Tehran would not resume talks until the attacks stopped and warned that zero enrichment, as demanded by Trump, was “impossible”. He said nuclear knowledge was a matter of “national pride” and “a legitimate right” under international law.
VP Vance says diplomacy window closing fast
Vice President JD Vance echoed Trump’s urgency, saying diplomacy was on borrowed time. “He’s gonna pursue diplomacy until he thinks that there isn’t an opportunity,” Vance said. He acknowledged the President's preference for talks but warned, “We’re running out of time.” Vance added that once the President determined diplomacy had failed, he would “do what he needs to do.” The Vice President reaffirmed America’s readiness to act and pointed out that Iran’s actions were eroding any remaining hopes for negotiations.
Missile shrapnel sparks fire at Israeli apartment block
An apartment block in central Israel caught fire after being hit by debris from an intercepted Iranian missile. Firefighters said the blaze erupted on the rooftop of a four-storey building, likely caused by shrapnel. No injuries were reported, but the incident underscored the risk posed even by failed missile attacks. Israeli emergency agency Magen David Adom confirmed it responded swiftly to the scene. Sirens continued to sound across Israel as Iranian missiles targeted Tel Aviv, Holon, and Beersheba.
Iran says attacks must stop before talks can resume
Araghchi reiterated that Iran would only return to negotiations if Israel halts its military aggression. “We’re not prepared to negotiate with them anymore, as long as the aggression continues,” he said, adding that Israel’s actions violated international law. While European diplomats urged him to continue talks, he said, “Iran is ready to consider diplomacy if aggression ceases and the aggressor is held accountable.” He also reaffirmed Iran’s position that its nuclear programme was peaceful and its right to enrich uranium was non-negotiable.
Nuclear watchdog warns against strike on Iranian reactor
Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, cautioned that a strike on Iran’s Bushehr reactor would cause a “very high release of radioactivity.” Though Israel has so far refrained from targeting reactors, Grossi warned against any escalation involving nuclear facilities. He confirmed that Thursday’s Israeli strike had damaged key structures at the Arak heavy water reactor, though it posed no contamination risk as the reactor was not operational. Iran continues to enrich uranium up to 60%, a step away from weapons-grade.
Israel claims success but braces for prolonged war
Israel’s Defence Minister and top general both warned that “difficult days lie ahead,” even as they praised their military’s “significant achievements.” Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir described the campaign as the most complex in Israeli history and warned that it was far from over. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to continue operations “for as long as it takes” to eliminate Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Israeli warplanes struck dozens of targets on Friday, including SPND — a Tehran-based nuclear research centre.
Western diplomatic efforts yield no breakthrough
A four-hour negotiation in Geneva between Iran’s foreign minister and European leaders ended with no concrete progress. While EU diplomats expressed hope for further dialogue, no new date was set. Trump dismissed Europe’s role in the talks, saying, “Iran doesn’t want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us.” Araghchi suggested Washington may not be serious about diplomacy and claimed the US had used Europe as a smokescreen to cover Israeli military operations.
Iranian missiles hit Haifa and Beersheba
While Israeli defences intercepted the bulk of Iran’s recent barrage, several missiles penetrated. A missile with cluster munitions hit Beersheba, setting several cars on fire. In Haifa, a projectile wounded at least 31 people and damaged buildings, including a mosque. President Isaac Herzog condemned the attack, saying it injured Muslim clerics and civilians. Israel has since launched counterstrikes and claimed it has destroyed most of Iran’s launch infrastructure, although sporadic missile attacks persist.
Civilian toll mounts in week-long war
The Israel-Iran war, now in its second week, has killed at least 657 people in Iran — including 263 civilians — and injured over 2,000, according to a Washington-based human rights group. Iran has launched over 1,000 drones and 450 missiles; most have been intercepted. In Israel, 24 people have been killed and hundreds injured. Netanyahu continues to describe Iran’s nuclear programme as an “existential threat” and has vowed to eliminate it regardless of international pushback. The US remains undecided on direct military involvement.
President Trump gave Iran a two-week deadline to engage meaningfully in negotiations but cast doubt on whether any diplomatic resolution was still possible. Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Israel’s surprise strikes undermined any remaining trust, calling them a “betrayal to diplomacy”. Iran has refused to resume nuclear talks unless Israel halts its aggression.
As the conflict deepens, missiles have continued to rain on Israeli cities. Fires broke out in Beersheba and Holon after fragments from intercepted projectiles struck residential areas. The death toll from the war, now into its second week, has surpassed 650 in Iran and left dozens dead in Israel.
Here are the 10 key developments from the Israel-Iran conflict:
Trump signals military action likely if diplomacy fails
President Donald Trump suggested time was running out for diplomacy. “I’m giving them a period of time and I would say two weeks would be the maximum,” he said, indicating he might approve strikes if Iran did not change course. While reaffirming that he was “always a peacemaker,” he hinted at tougher steps, particularly targeting the Fordo nuclear facility.
Trump dismissed a key intelligence assessment on Iran’s nuclear intentions, openly disagreeing with his Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard. Speaking to reporters in New Jersey, Trump said, “Then my intelligence community was wrong.” When told the assessment had come from Gabbard, he added: “She’s wrong.”
Also read: Trump says Tulsi Gabbard was 'wrong' on Iran's nuclear programme
Gabbard had earlier told lawmakers that US intelligence agencies believed Iran had “not made a decision to build a nuclear weapon.”
Trump also cast doubt on Iran’s civilian nuclear energy claims, questioning the country’s intentions: “They’re sitting on top of one of the largest piles of oil in the world. I just don’t know why they’d need that for civilian purposes.”
.@POTUS: "If there's an attack [on U.S. assets], we'll know almost immediately, with modern equipment, who made the attack — and those people will be very, very unhappy." pic.twitter.com/lQgTfx2qP6
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 20, 2025
Iran’s foreign minister says US used talks as ‘cover’ for Israeli strikes
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi accused the US of deceit. In an interview with NBC, he claimed the US used the upcoming Geneva negotiations as a distraction while Israel launched fresh strikes. “What they did was in fact a betrayal to diplomacy,” he said. Araghchi insisted that Tehran would not resume talks until the attacks stopped and warned that zero enrichment, as demanded by Trump, was “impossible”. He said nuclear knowledge was a matter of “national pride” and “a legitimate right” under international law.
In an exclusive interview with NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said they don’t know how they can trust the US anymore after their “betrayal to diplomacy” pic.twitter.com/BkSJiVaDsq
— The New Region (@thenewregion) June 20, 2025
VP Vance says diplomacy window closing fast
Vice President JD Vance echoed Trump’s urgency, saying diplomacy was on borrowed time. “He’s gonna pursue diplomacy until he thinks that there isn’t an opportunity,” Vance said. He acknowledged the President's preference for talks but warned, “We’re running out of time.” Vance added that once the President determined diplomacy had failed, he would “do what he needs to do.” The Vice President reaffirmed America’s readiness to act and pointed out that Iran’s actions were eroding any remaining hopes for negotiations.
Missile shrapnel sparks fire at Israeli apartment block
An apartment block in central Israel caught fire after being hit by debris from an intercepted Iranian missile. Firefighters said the blaze erupted on the rooftop of a four-storey building, likely caused by shrapnel. No injuries were reported, but the incident underscored the risk posed even by failed missile attacks. Israeli emergency agency Magen David Adom confirmed it responded swiftly to the scene. Sirens continued to sound across Israel as Iranian missiles targeted Tel Aviv, Holon, and Beersheba.
אזעקות הופעלו במרכז הארץ, כ-5 שיגורים זוהו מאיראן: שריפה פרצה על גג מבנה בגוש דן כתוצאה מרסיסי ירוט, לא דווח על נפגעיםhttps://t.co/cEHcQZ9cVn@OrHeller @Yossi_eli pic.twitter.com/4rcpRA5juq
— חדשות 13 (@newsisrael13) June 21, 2025
Iran says attacks must stop before talks can resume
Araghchi reiterated that Iran would only return to negotiations if Israel halts its military aggression. “We’re not prepared to negotiate with them anymore, as long as the aggression continues,” he said, adding that Israel’s actions violated international law. While European diplomats urged him to continue talks, he said, “Iran is ready to consider diplomacy if aggression ceases and the aggressor is held accountable.” He also reaffirmed Iran’s position that its nuclear programme was peaceful and its right to enrich uranium was non-negotiable.
Nuclear watchdog warns against strike on Iranian reactor
Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, cautioned that a strike on Iran’s Bushehr reactor would cause a “very high release of radioactivity.” Though Israel has so far refrained from targeting reactors, Grossi warned against any escalation involving nuclear facilities. He confirmed that Thursday’s Israeli strike had damaged key structures at the Arak heavy water reactor, though it posed no contamination risk as the reactor was not operational. Iran continues to enrich uranium up to 60%, a step away from weapons-grade.
Israel claims success but braces for prolonged war
Israel’s Defence Minister and top general both warned that “difficult days lie ahead,” even as they praised their military’s “significant achievements.” Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir described the campaign as the most complex in Israeli history and warned that it was far from over. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to continue operations “for as long as it takes” to eliminate Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Israeli warplanes struck dozens of targets on Friday, including SPND — a Tehran-based nuclear research centre.
Western diplomatic efforts yield no breakthrough
A four-hour negotiation in Geneva between Iran’s foreign minister and European leaders ended with no concrete progress. While EU diplomats expressed hope for further dialogue, no new date was set. Trump dismissed Europe’s role in the talks, saying, “Iran doesn’t want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us.” Araghchi suggested Washington may not be serious about diplomacy and claimed the US had used Europe as a smokescreen to cover Israeli military operations.
Iranian missiles hit Haifa and Beersheba
While Israeli defences intercepted the bulk of Iran’s recent barrage, several missiles penetrated. A missile with cluster munitions hit Beersheba, setting several cars on fire. In Haifa, a projectile wounded at least 31 people and damaged buildings, including a mosque. President Isaac Herzog condemned the attack, saying it injured Muslim clerics and civilians. Israel has since launched counterstrikes and claimed it has destroyed most of Iran’s launch infrastructure, although sporadic missile attacks persist.
Civilian toll mounts in week-long war
The Israel-Iran war, now in its second week, has killed at least 657 people in Iran — including 263 civilians — and injured over 2,000, according to a Washington-based human rights group. Iran has launched over 1,000 drones and 450 missiles; most have been intercepted. In Israel, 24 people have been killed and hundreds injured. Netanyahu continues to describe Iran’s nuclear programme as an “existential threat” and has vowed to eliminate it regardless of international pushback. The US remains undecided on direct military involvement.
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