Iran FM says 'no agreement' as of now on ceasefire with Israel

TNA’s live coverage of the latest from the Middle East concludes for today. Join us again at 0800 GMT for updates from the region.
 

Israel's military said early Tuesday that it was working to intercept Iranian missiles launched a "short while ago", without specifying the exact time of the attack.

"A short while ago, sirens sounded in several areas across Israel following the identification of missiles launched from Iran toward the State of Israel," the Israeli military said in a statement posted to Telegram around 5:00 am (0200 GMT).

Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced a staggered ceasefire between Israel and Iran would begin around 0400 GMT, with Tehran halting operations first.

Following U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, Israel’s Home Front Command has said that warning sirens are expected to sound shortly in southern Israel, according to the Times of Israel.

Iraq’s Imam Ali military base has come under attack, according to a report by the Baghdad-based Al Sumaria TV network.

The incident reportedly targeted the base’s radar systems, though the broadcaster did not specify who was behind the strike.

Imam Ali base is situated in Dhi Qar governorate, southwest of the provincial capital Nasiriyah.

There were no immediate details on damage or casualties.

اسـ*ـتهداف الرادار في قاعدة الإمام علي بمحافظة ذي قار

لمزيد من الأخبار، زوروا موقع السومرية https://t.co/t7ogXmnjD1#العراق #السومرية pic.twitter.com/Brk5Ufhkko

— AlsumariaTV-السومرية (@alsumariatv) June 24, 2025

The New York Times, citing two Israeli defense officials, reports that the Israeli Air Force is conducting multiple airstrikes across Tehran and other locations in Iran.

According to the report, residents participating in a live town hall on the ClubHouse application described loud and continuous explosions in the capital.

Journalist Mostafa Shams, based in Tehran, was quoted by NYT saying, "the Mehrabad airport nearby is being struck back to back. I can see the jets and hear them."

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted a follow-up message on X, stating that Iran’s military actions against Israel continued until the designated cutoff time of 4am.

He expressed his appreciation, saying, “Together with all Iranians, I thank our brave Armed Forces who remain ready to defend our dear country until their last drop of blood, and who responded to any attack by the enemy until the very last minute.”

This statement came shortly after Araghchi noted there was no official ceasefire agreement yet, but added that Iran would stop its attacks if Israel ended its “aggression” by 4am local time (00:30 GMT).

The military operations of our powerful Armed Forces to punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute, at 4am.

Together with all Iranians, I thank our brave Armed Forces who remain ready to defend our dear country until their last drop of blood, and who…

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 24, 2025

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has stated that no ceasefire agreement has been reached at this stage.

Posting on X, Araghchi said Iran would not continue its military response if Israel halts what he described as its "illegal aggression" against the Iranian people by 4 a.m. Tehran time.

He added that a final decision on ending Iranian military operations would be taken later.

As Iran has repeatedly made clear: Israel launched war on Iran, not the other way around.

As of now, there is NO "agreement" on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations. However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no…

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 24, 2025

Iran’s Tasnim news agency says the Victory Base Complex- a group of former US military sites near Baghdad International Airport- was hit by a drone strike, citing unnamed sources.

Further details are expected.

The U.S. embassy in Sweden said on Monday Americans in the country are "advised to exercise increased caution" due to local media reports on Iran potentially pressuring local criminal gangs to attack U.S. and Israeli interests.

Washington struck Iran's nuclear sites over the weekend and Iran targeted a U.S. base in Qatar on Monday in retaliation. The U.S. State Department on Sunday issued a worldwide caution security alert for Americans living overseas.

"Swedish media reports that Iran may be pressuring local criminal gangs, including the Foxtrot Network, to carry out attacks in Sweden against U.S. and Israeli interests. U.S. citizens in Sweden are advised to exercise increased caution," the U.S. embassy in Sweden said in a security alert.

The alert was issued before President Donald Trump said on Monday Iran and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire. It urged Americans in Sweden to avoid crowds and demonstrations and keep a low profile.

The Swedish criminal gang Foxtrot was accused in April by Britain of committing violence against Jewish and Israeli targets in Europe on behalf of Iran's government, a claim Iran rejected. Washington sanctioned the group in March.

The embassy's alert did not identify the report it was quoting.

An unidentified drone targeted a site at Iraq's Taji military base north of Baghdad, the Iraqi state news agency reported early on Tuesday, citing a military official.

There were no casualties, the official said.

According to Haaretz, the United States secured Israel’s approval for a ceasefire proposal before approaching Iran, citing a foreign source involved in the negotiations between the US, Qatar, Iran, and Israel.

After obtaining Israeli agreement, President Trump reportedly asked Qatar’s Emir to help convince Tehran to support the deal.

US Vice President JD Vance is also said to have played a key role in shaping the framework that ultimately led to Iran’s approval of the ceasefire arrangement.

 U.S. President Donald Trump told NBC News he expects an Israel-Iran ceasefire that he announced on Monday to last "forever."

"I think the ceasefire is unlimited. It's going to go forever," he told the network.

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani secured Tehran's agreement to the U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Iran during a call with Iranian officials held after Iran's strikes on a U.S. air base in Qatar on Monday, an official briefed on the negotiations told news agency Reuters early on Tuesday.

The phone call came after U.S. President Donald Trump told Qatar's emir that Israel had agreed to the ceasefire and asked for Doha's help persuading Tehran to also agree to the ceasefire deal, the official said. 

Iran has issued an evacuation warning for residents of the Ramat Gan district near Tel Aviv, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency.

The alert comes shortly after an Israeli military spokesperson warned residents of a district in Tehran to evacuate ahead of an anticipated Israeli strike.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Monday Iran was no longer able to build a nuclear weapon after U.S. strikes destroyed its infrastructure.

"Iran was very close to having a nuclear weapon," Vance said in an interview on Fox News' "Special Report with Bret Baier."

"Now Iran is incapable of building a nuclear weapon with the equipment they have because we destroyed it," Vance said.

Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency reports that explosions have been heard across multiple areas in the northern and eastern parts of Tehran, as well as in unspecified other cities.

The official IRNA news agency also confirms sounds of defensive activity and explosions in several parts of the capital.

The US President announces a phased ceasefire between Israel and Iran to end the two-week conflict. Here is more on what he said regarding the peace deal:

• Iran begins ceasefire in ~6 hours

• 12-hour ceasefire leads to Israel’s ceasefire

• Official end declared at 24 hours

Trump praises both nations for courage and calls for global blessings.

US President Donald Trump announces that Israel and Iran have agreed to a complete and total ceasefire, paving the way for an end to the conflict.

More updates to come.

The Palestinian Authority has condemned Iran’s missile attack on Qatar, calling it a clear breach of Qatar’s sovereignty.

In their statement, the PA stood in solidarity with Qatar and its citizens, emphasizing continued support for the Gulf nation.

Qatar has announced the reopening of its airspace following a temporary closure prompted by the firing of 19 missiles from Iran.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that Tehran's attack on U.S military base al-Udeid in Qatar came in response to the U.S. "aggression against Iran's territorial integrity and sovereignty."

He said Iran will be ready to respond again in case of further action by the U.S., according a statement posted by the Iranian foreign ministry's account on Telegram.

• Qatar received intelligence that regional bases, including Al Udeid Air Base, were being targeted.

• At 7:30pm local time (1630 GMT), reports indicated seven missiles had been launched from Iran toward Al Udeid.

• One missile landed at the base but caused no casualties or damage.

• Al Udeid was evacuated prior to the strike as a precaution.

• Officials expressed pride in the defensive response, confirming no harm to personnel or infrastructure.

Kuwait’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation has announced the reopening of the country’s airspace following a brief suspension amid heightened regional tensions.

In a statement, the authority confirmed that operations at Kuwait International Airport have resumed as normal and that flight schedules are returning to regular operation.

Qatar says one Iranian missile hit Al Udeid Air Base.

Out of 19 missiles fired, only one made impact, causing no injuries or deaths.

The U.S. embassy in Qatar lifted a shelter-in-place order on Monday evening, following Iranian strikes on the U.S.-run Al Udeid Air Base outside the capital Doha.

The embassy, which had told American citizens to shelter in place earlier on Monday, said in a notice posted on its website that it would reopen on Tuesday. 

Dubai Airports said on Monday that it resumed operations after a brief flight suspension, the Dubai Media Office posted on X.

Flights could see some delays or cancellations, it added.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said Iran gave the United States notice prior to shooting missiles at its military base in Qatar, which he said made it possible for no lives to be lost.

"I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed, and hardly any damage was done. Most importantly, they’ve gotten it all out of their 'system,' and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

"Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same," Trump added.

Oman Air has temporarily suspended flights to and from Manama, Dubai, Kuwait, and Doha due to ongoing regional developments, the airline announced in a statement on X.

“Flights across the rest of our network may be delayed as a result of longer flight paths,” the statement added.

pic.twitter.com/7GTZpXox67

— Oman Air (@omanair) June 23, 2025

 Iran will continue its retaliation in response to the United States' attacks, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday.

He said Iran has the necessary rationality to begin diplomacy after punishing the aggressor, adding if the U.S. seeks negotiations, Israeli and U.S. attacks must stop.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday called for a return to negotiations after Iran carried out a retaliatory strike on a US military base in Qatar.

"The spiral of chaos must end," he wrote on X. "I call on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint, de-escalate and return to the negotiating table."

Speaking to broadcaster France 2, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said: "This is a dangerous escalation in which Iran bears a heavy responsibility. It is a cycle of violence that puts the region at risk of a widespread conflagration, which would have very serious repercussions even here at home."

J’exprime la solidarité de la France au Qatar frappé par l’Iran sur son sol.

Je suis en contact étroit avec les autorités du pays et nos partenaires de la région.

J’appelle toutes les parties à la plus grande retenue, à la désescalade et au retour à la table des négociations.…

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 23, 2025

The Israeli military said Monday that Iran's retaliatory attack on US military bases proved that the country was a threat to "the entire world".

"I want to say that this is further proof of hostility and violence and of the fact that Iran is a terrorist state, which threatens not only Israel, but the entire Middle East, including its neighbours and the entire world," military spokesman Effie Defrin told reporters in a televised press conference.

Israel has been attacking Iran from the air since launching a surprise operation on June 13.

The United Arab Emirates on Monday denounced in the "strongest terms" an attack by Iran against Al Udeid base in Qatar, the largest US military facility in the region.

The UAE "condemns in the strongest terms the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's targeting of Al Udeid Air Base in the sisterly State of Qatar, considering it a flagrant violation of Qatar's sovereignty and airspace," Abu Dhabi's foreign ministry said in a statement carried by official news agency WAM.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia lambasted Iran for its "unjustifiable" attack on the Qatar-based US base, offering to deploy "all its capabilities" to support Doha, with whom it has had fraught relations in the past.

Riyadh said it "condemns and denounces in the strongest terms the aggression launched by Iran against the sisterly State of Qatar... This is unacceptable and unjustifiable under any circumstances. The Kingdom affirms its solidarity and full support for... Qatar and offers all its capabilities to support the sisterly State of Qatar in any measures it takes," Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry said in a statement.

According to sources cited by al-Araby al-Jadeed, the 7th Iraqi Army Division has been placed on maximum alert near the Ain al-Assad base, located west of Anbar province in western Iraq.

The New Arab’s Arabic-language sister outlet, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, reports that Iraqi airspace has been completely shut to all aircraft movement following reported Iranian strikes on US military bases in both Iraq and Qatar.

Bahrain suspended air traffic temporarily on Monday after Iran attacked a US base in neighbouring Qatar in retaliation for American strikes on its nuclear facilities.

"The Civil Aviation Affairs of the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications announced the temporary suspension of air navigation in the skies of the Kingdom of Bahrain as a precautionary measure in light of recent regional developments," said a statement carried by the official Bahrain News Agency.

Qatar’s Ministry of Defence announced that its air defence systems intercepted incoming missiles targeting the Al-Udeid Air Base.

The ministry stated that the attack caused no fatalities or injuries, crediting the armed forces' alertness and effective preventative measures.

It further assured the public that Qatari territory and airspace remain protected, with the military fully equipped to address any potential threats.

pic.twitter.com/qSS96ITYAT

— وزارة الدفاع - دولة قطر (@MOD_Qatar) June 23, 2025

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has stated that the missile strike on the al-Udeid Air Base was carried out away from populated areas in Qatar.

“This operation does not threaten the friendly and brotherly nation of Qatar or its honourable people. The Islamic Republic of Iran remains committed to preserving and strengthening its warm, historic ties with Qatar,” the council said in a statement.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari, has condemned the IRGC missile strike on the al-Udeid Air Base, calling it a "violation of Qatar’s sovereignty, airspace, and the UN Charter."

"In the State of Qatar, we reserve the right to respond directly to this blatant act of aggression in accordance with international law," al-Ansari said in an official statement.

He added that Qatari air defences intercepted and successfully neutralised the Iranian missiles.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has officially confirmed it carried out a retaliatory missile strike on the US al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency.

The White House and the Defence Department are closely monitoring potential threats to Al Udeid air base in Qatar, an American facility, a senior White House official said on Monday.

"The White House and the Department of Defence are aware of, and closely monitoring, potential threats to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar," the official said.

Iran says it has launched an attack on US forces at Qatar's Al Udeid Air Base.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday there was no "framework of legality" regarding the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, adding any regime change in the country should be a result of the will of the people, not of bombs.

"There is no framework of legality in these strikes, even if France shares the objective not to see Iran acquire nuclear weapons," he told reporters during a press conference in Oslo alongside Norwegian Prime minister Jonas Gahr Stoere.

"I believe in the sovereignty of peoples and territorial integrity (...) so I don't think we can take the place of a people to change its leaders," Macron added.

The last heir to the Iranian monarchy urged Western states on Monday to accept that the collapse of the current Iranian authorities is necessary to deliver lasting peace and regional stability.

"Now is the moment to stand with the Iranian people. Do not repeat the mistakes of the past. Do not throw this regime a lifeline. The destruction of the regime's nuclear facilities alone will not deliver peace," Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the toppled Shah, told a press conference in Paris.

"You are right to be concerned about stopping nuclear weapons and securing regional stability, but only a democratic transition in Iran can ensure these goals are achieved and are lasting."

Pahlavi has lived in exile for nearly four decades, since his father, the U.S.-backed shah, was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Explosions were heard near the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz on Monday, the Fars news agency reported.

Fars said the blasts were heard on the western outskirts of the city, which is the capital of Khuzestan province on the border with Iraq.

Images and videos shared online purportedly showed huge plumes of smoke billowing from the sites of the attacks.

Qatar said it has shut down airspace temporarily as part of measures taken amid developments in the region, a statement by the Qatari foreign ministry said on X.

"The competent authorities announce the temporary suspension of air traffic in the country's airspace, as part of a set of precautionary measures taken based on developments in the region," the foreign ministry said.

The shutdown of Qatari airspace comes as Iran repeated earlier threats to retaliate against the United States after strikes on its nuclear sites.

Qatar is home to the United States' largest base in the region, Al Udeid.

A fact-finding mission mandated by the United Nations said on Monday that some of Israel's strikes on Iran may have broken international humanitarian law, citing the killing of civilians in an apartment block and three aid workers in Tehran.

"Among those killed in Tehran were dozens of residents of an apartment complex and three humanitarian workers from the Iranian Red Cross, while damaged sites included a clinic for children with autism and a hospital in Kermanshah," the investigative body said in a statement to journalists, referring to the Israeli strikes.

"This, and the reported lack of effective advance warning by Israel, which may affect the population’s ability to reach safety, raise serious concerns in relation to the principles of proportionality, distinction, and precaution under international humanitarian law."

The mission said that millions had so far fled the capital and that a lack of warning systems, adequate shelters and internet restrictions had increased the dangers.

After Israel struck a notorious jail for political prisoners on Monday, the experts voiced concern about detainees held near the sites of bombings.

The West should not give a lifeline to the Iranian leadership under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei through talks when his rule is "closer every day" to ending, the son of Iran's ousted shah told AFP on Monday.

"This regime is collapsing... You can facilitate that by standing this time with them (the Iranian people), not throwing this regime another lifeline to survive," Reza Pahlavi, formerly crown prince and now a key opposition figure, said in an interview.

Britain said on Monday that a Royal Air Force flight carrying 63 British nationals and their dependents out of Israel had left Tel Aviv in the afternoon.

"Today's flight will bring British nationals and their dependents safely back to the UK," foreign minister David Lammy said in a statement.

Following the outbreak of the Iran-Israel conflict last week, Britain appealed to its nationals in the region to register their presence.

Lammy said that 4,000 British citizens had registered their presence, of whom 15%-25% had indicated a preference to leave.

France hit out at Israel on Monday over a strike on a Tehran prison holding two French nationals and other Europeans.

"This is unacceptable," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot wrote on X, although he said that the strike on Evin prison was not believed to have harmed French nationals Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris.

Foreign oil firms including giants BP and TotalEnergies evacuated some foreign staff from southern Iraq amid regional tensions, the state-owned Basra Oil Company said Monday.

"Firms operating in the fields of the Basra Oil Company have temporarily evacuated some of their foreign personnel," the company said in a statement.

The British government on Monday issued a warning recommending that U.K. citizens in Qatar shelter in place until further notice.

The recommendation, which was issued out of "an abundance of caution" it said, and included no details, follows a similar warning the U.S. government issued to its citizens in the Gulf Arab State.

Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson earlier said that the security situation in the country remained stable.

US President Donald Trump urged Monday for oil prices to be kept down as they fluctuated while the world eyes Tehran's response to US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

"EVERYONE, KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN. I'M WATCHING!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform minutes after Wall Street started trading, with major US indexes treading water.

Trump cautioned against "playing right into the hands of the enemy."

EVERYONE, KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN. I'M WATCHING! YOU'RE PLAYING RIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. DON'T DO IT!

— Trump Posts on 𝕏 (@trump_repost) June 23, 2025

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Monday that Iran has the full right to self-defence and called the strategic partnership between Moscow and Tehran "unbreakable", state news agencies reported.

Asked whether Iran has requested military assistance from Russia, Ryabkov told Interfax that Moscow was working with Iran across multiple areas and it would irresponsible to disclose further details on their cooperation.

The Israeli military issued on Monday an evacuation warning to residents of Tehran, telling them to stay away from weapons production centres and military bases, according to a post by the Israeli military on X in Farsi and in Arabic.

🔴 هشدار فوری با ساکنین تهران

⭕️ شهروندان عزیز تهران, در روزهای آینده، ارتش اسرائیل به حملات خود علیه اهداف نظامی در منطقه تهران ادامه خواهد داد.

⭕️ برای حفظ امنیت شخصی‌تان، از شما درخواست می‌کنیم که از مراکز تولید تسلیحات، مقرهای نظامی و نهادهای امنیتی وابسته به رژیم فاصله… pic.twitter.com/mBLYZ4jtZO

— ارتش دفاعی اسرائیل | IDF Farsi (@IDFFarsi) June 23, 2025

At least 30 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Monday in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, according to Al Araby TV.

Iran's armed forces chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi vowed on Monday that the country would take "firm action" in response to US strikes on key nuclear sites.

"This crime and desecration will not go unanswered," said Mousavi in a video statement published on state TV, adding that "we will take firm action against the American mistake".

U.S. strikes on Iran over the weekend did not violate international law, NATO chief Mark Rutte told reporters on Monday ahead of a summit for the military alliance.

A drone fell in Jordan's Amman, causing material damage, the country's state news agency reported on Monday, without clarifying where it came from.

CCTV footage shared on social media captures the moment the drone landed very close to two men in southwest Amman's Um Uthaina neighbourhood.

فيديو.. لحظة سقوط شظايا مسيرة في منطقة أم أذنية غرب العاصمة عمان#جريدة_الغد #الأردن #أم_أذينة pic.twitter.com/wORFvXCtPB

— جريدة الغد (@AlghadNews) June 23, 2025

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stressed on Monday that Tehran should not be allowed to have a nuclear bomb, as the war between Israel and Iran entered its 11th day.

"When it comes to NATO's stance on Iran's nuclear programme, allies have long agreed that Iran must not develop a nuclear weapon," said Rutte ahead of a NATO summit in The Hague.

The European Union imposed on Monday an asset freeze and a ban on travel to the EU on five people linked with toppled Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad for supporting crimes against humanity, including backing the use of chemical weapons against civilians and fuelling sectarian violence.

The Council of the EU said the measures targeted three former members of the Syrian Republican Guard and Armed Forces responsible for human rights violations during Assad's rule, including torture and extrajudicial killings, and who were involved in a wave of violence that took place in March.

Those affected also included two prominent businessmen who represented the Assad government's business and financial interests in Russia, which the EU says helped finance crimes against humanity.

Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed Monday that those involved in a "heinous" suicide attack on a Damascus church a day earlier would face justice, calling for unity in the country.

"We promise... that we will work night and day, mobilising all our specialised security agencies, to capture all those who participated in and planned this heinous crime and to bring them to justice," Sharaa said in a statement.

The attack "reminds us of the importance of solidarity and unity of the government and the people in facing all that threatens our nation's security and stability", he added.

Donald Trump thinks Iranians should overthrow their government if it refuses to negotiate on its nuclear program, but the US president is "still interested" in diplomacy, the White House said Monday.

"If the Iranian regime refuses to come to a peaceful diplomatic solution, which the president is still interested and engaging in, by the way, why shouldn't the Iranian people take away the power of this incredibly violent regime that has been suppressing them for decades?" Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Fox News.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that there was "no reason to criticise" the United States over its strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran.

"There is no reason to criticise what America did at the weekend. Yes, it is not without risk. But leaving things as they were was not an option either," Merz said in a speech to the Federation of German Industries.

Finnair said on Monday it had cancelled its flights to and from Qatar's capital Doha through June 30 due to the security situation in the Middle East.

Qatar said on Monday that its security situation was stable, after the US Embassy emailed a message to American citizens recommending they shelter in place until further notice.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansar said the embassy advisory did not indicate the presence of any specific threat.

"The country is prepared to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of its citizens and residents," his statement added.

The German government is adapting its precautions in case of possible retaliatory strikes by Iran in close consultation with partners, following US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, a government official said on Monday.

"We have done so since before the operations began. We will continue to do so. But we are making ongoing adjustments and are in very close and very constructive consultation with our partners," said the official, adding that the topic was discussed with Britain and France yesterday. 

Syria interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa urges "solidarity and unity" after a church attack on Sunday in Damascus killed at least 25 people.

Power has been restored in a northern Tehran area after an Israeli airstrike hit an electricity feeder, Iranian authorities have said.

An Israeli strike on Evin prison in Tehran is "completely irresponsible" and "puts our loved ones in mortal danger," said Noemie Kohler, the sister of French national Cecile Kohler held in Iran, on Monday.

"We have no news, we don't know if they are still alive, we're panicking," Kohler told AFP, urging the French authorities to "condemn these extremely dangerous strikes" and secure the release of the French prisoners.

The Israeli military said it had launched air raids Monday to block access to Iran's enriched uranium facility in Fordow which was bombed by the United States at the weekend.

A military statement said Israeli forces had "struck in order to obstruct access routes to the Fordo enrichment site" which US President Donald Trump said had been "totally obliterated" by the US strikes.

There has been speculation that Iran might have moved out some of its known 400-kilogramme stockpile of highly enriched uranium before the US bombing of its storage sites in the early hours of Sunday.

Rome is against suspending EU-Israel agreement over alleged human rights violations in Gaza, Italy's foreign minister said Monday.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his "anger" on Monday after a weekend suicide attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus.

"I want to... express my indignation and my anger at the recent terrorist attack against the Greek Orthodox Church of the Prophet Elijah in Damascus," he said and asked the "new Syrian government... to take concrete measures to protect all ethnic and religious minorities".

The death toll from Sunday's attack on a church in the Syrian capital Damascus has risen to 25, the SANA news agency quoted the health ministry as saying.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Iran's foreign minister on Monday there was no justification for the U.S. bombing of his country and that Moscow was trying to help the Iranian people.

Putin hosted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Moscow two days after U.S. President Donald Trump sent U.S. bomber planes to strike Iran's three main nuclear sites.

"The absolutely unprovoked aggression against Iran has no basis and no justification," Putin told Araghchi in televised comments.

"For our part, we are making efforts to assist the Iranian people," he added.

📸 دیدار #عراقچی با پوتین pic.twitter.com/kqDeLbGAly

— akram sharifi (@akramsharifi) April 17, 2025

The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog on Monday called for its inspectors to be able to return to Iran's nuclear sites in a bid to "account for" its highly enriched uranium stockpiles, as he called for a cessation of hostilities.

"Iran, Israel and the Middle East need peace," Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told an emergency meeting of the organisation's board of governors in Vienna.

"For that, we must take a number of steps," he said.

"First of all, we must return to the negotiating table and for that allow IAEA inspectors - the guardians on our behalf of the NPT (nuclear non-proliferation treaty) - to go back to Iran's nuclear sites and account for the stockpiles of uranium, including, most importantly, the 400 kilogrammes enriched to 60 percent."

Major oil producers Russia and Iraq on Monday expressed "concern" over volatility in world energy markets amid the spiralling conflict between Iran and Israel following US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites.

In a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, the Kremlin said the two leaders "expressed concern about the emerging risks to global energy markets and emphasised the importance of continuing active cooperation within the OPEC+ format."

The EU's top diplomat warned Monday it would be "extremely dangerous" should Iran shut down the crucial Strait of Hormuz trading route over US strikes on its nuclear sites.

"Concerns of retaliation and this war escalating are huge," Kaja Kallas told reporters as EU foreign ministers met in Brussels for talks, with the Iran-Israel conflict high on the agenda.

"Especially the closing of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran is something that would be extremely dangerous and not good for anybody," she warned.

Analysts have said Iran may opt to retaliate to Washington's early Sunday attack by shutting the Strait, a waterway through which one-fifth of global oil output passes.

Iran's judiciary said Israeli strikes on Monday hit Tehran's Evin prison, leaving sections of the facility damaged.

"In the latest attack by the Zionist regime on Tehran, projectiles unfortunately struck Evin prison, causing damage to parts of the facility," said the judiciary's Mizan Online website.

It added that all resources had been deployed to manage the complex and the situation remained "under control".

U.S. bombing probably caused "very significant" damage to the underground areas of Iran's Fordow uranium enrichment plant dug into a mountain, though no one can yet tell the extent, U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Monday.

"At this time, no one, including the IAEA is in a position to have fully assessed the underground damage at Fordow," Grossi said in a statement to an emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation Board of Governors.

The IAEA has not been able to carry out inspections in Iran since Israel started its military strikes on nuclear facilities there on June 13.

"Given the explosive payload utilised and the extreme(ly) vibration-sensitive nature of centrifuges, very significant damage is expected to have occurred," Grossi added.

Flights to and from Israel's main airport will partially resume on Monday, Israel's Airport Authority said on Sunday, with safety restrictions limiting the number of flights and passengers.

"Beginning tomorrow, Monday, June 23, 2025, both incoming and outgoing flights will resume at Ben Gurion Airport, marking a significant step toward the gradual restoration of routine international travel," the IAA said in a statement.

The gate of Iran's notorious Evin prison in Tehran was hit in a suspected Israeli strike, Iranian state television says.

ویدیوی منتشرشده از دوربین مداربسته زندان اوین، حمله به در ورودی این زندان را در دوشنبه دوم تیر نشان می دهد. pic.twitter.com/1aeuSsFpao

— العربیه فارسی (@AlArabiya_Fa) June 23, 2025

The Kremlin said on Sunday that Russia's President Vladimir Putin had no plans to speak to U.S. President Donald Trump following U.S. attacks on Iran's nuclear sites, but added the call could be quickly arranged, state news agency TASS reported.

Israel is carrying out unprecedented strikes on Iran's capital, Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement on Monday.

The Israeli military "is carrying out strikes of unprecedented force against regime targets and agencies of government oppression in the heart of Tehran", Katz said as the Iran-Israel war rages on.

Images shared on social media showed smoke billowing from several locations around Tehran.

هم‌اکنون؛
تصاویر دریافتی از تهران و گزارش‌ها از دست‌کم شش انفجار در حوالی صداوسیما، ونک، سعادت‌آباد، خیابان پیروزی، آتی‌ساز و مرکز تهران. https://t.co/d5VUryDUh3 pic.twitter.com/KxeYvwSzop

— Amirhossein Miresmaeili (@AmirMiresmaeili) June 23, 2025

Russia deeply regrets and condemns the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, the Kremlin said on Monday.

The U.S. actions have increased the number of participants in the conflict and ushered in a new spiral of escalation, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

An electricity feeder in northern Tehran's Evin neighbourhood was hit Monday but no widespread power outage has been reported in the capital, Iran's Tasnim news agency said.

Iran's nuclear facility of Fordow was hit again on Monday in an Israeli attack, the spokesperson for Qom Province's Crisis Management Headquarters said according to semi-official news agency Tasnim, a day after the U.S. struck the same target.

The official added that there will be no danger to residents in the area.

اسرائیل کے فردو فسیلٹی، تہران میں جیل سمیت متعدد مقامات پر حملے جاری pic.twitter.com/HYHcurmNrD

— Muhammad Umair (@MohUmair87) June 23, 2025

A technical building of the Iranian state broadcaster was hit in Israeli strikes, Iran's ILNA news agency said.

Turkey will not allow extremists to drag Syria back into chaos and instability, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday after a suicide attack killed 22 at a Damascus church.

"We will never allow our neighbour and brother Syria... be dragged into a new environment of instability through proxy terrorist organisations," he said, vowing to support the new government's fight against such groups.

He did not explain what he meant by "proxy" groups but vowed that Turkey would "continue to support the Syrian government's fight against terrorism".

The Damascus government blamed Sunday night's shooting and suicide attack - the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since the fall of Bashar al-Assad six months ago - on Islamic State group militants.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday that he spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump on issues ranging across de-escalating the conflict in the Middle East, NATO's proposed summit this week and trade negotiations with the U.S.

Iran's supreme leader sent his foreign minister to Moscow on Monday to ask President Vladimir Putin for more help from Russia after the biggest U.S. military action against the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution over the weekend.

While Putin has condemned the Israeli strikes, he has yet to comment on the U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear sites though he last week called for calm and offered Moscow's services as a mediator over the nuclear programme.

A senior source told Reuters that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was due to deliver a letter from Khamenei to Putin, seeking the latter's support.

Several loud explosions were heard in the Iranian capital Tehran as the northern city of Karaj was targeted by Israeli missiles, according to Iranian media.

Tehran now. Western part. pic.twitter.com/vGICMIzLxy

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) June 23, 2025

Citing Israel's electricity company Monday morning, Israeli media reported supply disruptions in the south following damage near a strategic infrastructure facility after an Iranian missile salvo.

Israeli media reported around 15 missiles were launched and shrapnel from interceptions fell in several locations.

The Israeli military later told people they can leave protected areas, signalling the Iranian missile threat was over.

Israel's Electric Company confirms power outages in the south after a power facility was struck. pic.twitter.com/JBEzCRL7Za

— Sprinter Observer (@SprinterObserve) June 23, 2025

Yemen’s Houthi movement has condemned the US airstrikes on Iran, warning of serious repercussions for regional and global stability. 

The group said it holds the United States "fully responsible" for the latest escalation, according to a statement carried by the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV.

Describing the strikes as a "flagrant violation of international law, the UN Charter, and the sovereignty of an independent state," the Houthis warned of "grave consequences".

In a separate statement the group said its forces were ready to target US naval vessels in the Red Sea in retaliation.

The threat comes despite a ceasefire reached between the Houthis and Washington in early May, following weeks of US-led airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to be unacceptable, Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Monday, adding that the EU will renew its relationship with Syria.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday called for a swift return to diplomacy after the US struck three nuclear sites in Iran overnight, his spokesman said.

Iran must "immediately enter into negotiations with the US and Israel and to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict", Merz said, according to his spokesman Stefan Kornelius.

The German government believes "large parts of Iran's nuclear programme have been damaged by the airstrikes", Kornelius said.

Iran said Monday the attacks launched on the Islamic republic during talks about its nuclear programme were a "betrayal of diplomacy".

"We and future generations will not forget that the Iranians were in the middle of a diplomatic process with a country that is now at war with us," said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei.

"Two days before the start of the negotiations, they attacked us militarily. It is a betrayal of diplomacy and the principle of dialogue," he added.

Loud explosions were heard in Jerusalem on Monday, after the Israeli military warned a fresh barrage of missiles had been launched from Iran.

Around 10 minutes after announcing the missiles had been identified, the military said "additional missiles were launched" towards Israel and urged people to take cover.

The Magen David Adom rescue service reported no immediate casualties.

A parliamentary bill to suspend Iran's cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog is under consideration, Ruhollah Motefakerzadeh, a member of parliament's presidium said on Monday according to state media.

Iranian media also reported Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf saying: "We in the parliament are seeking to pass a bill that would suspend Iran's cooperation with the IAEA until we have objective guarantees of the professional behaviour of this international organisation."

Qalibaf added Tehran was not looking to develop nuclear weapons.

"The world clearly saw that the Atomic Energy Agency has not fulfilled any of its obligations and has become a political tool," he added.

Israel's military said sirens sounded in several areas across the country on Monday after missiles were fired from Iran, as the two foes traded fire for the 11th day.

"A short while ago, sirens sounded in several areas across Israel following the identification of missiles launched from Iran toward the State of Israel," an army statement said. AFP journalists in Jerusalem and the centre of the country received alerts on their phones warning of incoming missiles.

China urged Iran and Israel on Monday to de-escalate in order to prevent the "spillover" of their war, as fighting between the two foes raged for the 11th day.

"The Chinese side urges the parties to the conflict to prevent the situation from escalating repeatedly, resolutely avoid the spillover of war, and return to the path of political resolution," foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Moscow on Monday, Russian Interfax agency said, citing Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.

Recent hostile action by the United States expanded the scope of legitimate targets for Iran's armed forces, a spokesperson for its Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said in a video shared on Monday.

Ebrahim Zolfaqari said the U.S. should expect heavy consequences for its actions.

"Mr. Trump, the gambler, you may start this war, but we will be the ones to end it," Zolfaqari said in English at the end of his recorded statement.