by Admin
20/6/2025
Iran announced on Friday it would not engage in discussions about its nuclear program while under military assault from Israel.
The statement came as European nations pushed for renewed negotiations, and the United States weighed whether to step into the escalating conflict.
One week into its offensive, Israel reported targeting numerous military sites across Iran.
These included missile production facilities, a research center in Tehran allegedly tied to nuclear weapons development, and various military installations in central and western Iran.
Later, the Israeli military said it had launched strikes against surface-to-air missile systems in Iran’s southwestern region, aiming to establish air superiority.
Loud explosions were heard in Khuzestan province, where at least four people were killed, according to Iran’s IRNA news agency.
In Tehran, an Israeli airstrike destroyed a five-story building housing a bakery and a hair salon, injuring at least five people, Fars news agency reported.
Iranian air defenses were also activated on Friday evening in response to the escalating attacks.
In retaliation, Iran launched missile strikes on Beersheba in southern Israel and Haifa in the north.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said a historic Ottoman-era mosque in Haifa was damaged, along with a nearby high-rise building housing a branch of Israel’s Interior Ministry.
Haifa is a strategic location, home to the country’s busiest seaport and a major naval base.
Iranian military sources told Fars news agency that Friday’s counterattacks involved long-range and heavy missiles targeting Israeli military bases, defense industries, and command centers.
An Israeli military official confirmed that around 20 missiles were fired, injuring two people.
At the United Nations, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon declared that Israel would continue its offensive “until Iran’s nuclear threat is dismantled.”
In response, Iran’s U.N. envoy Amir Saeid Iravani urged the Security Council to intervene and expressed concern over reports that the U.S. might join the conflict.
The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, issued a stark warning about the risks of attacking nuclear facilities, cautioning that such actions could lead to severe radioactive consequences beyond national borders.
His comments followed confusion over whether Israel had struck the Russian-built Bushehr nuclear power plant on Iran’s Gulf coast—an Israeli official later said it was a “mistake” to claim it had been hit.
Iran has acknowledged it activated its air defenses in the area but offered no further details.
Israel has restated its aim to neutralize Iran’s nuclear capabilities, while emphasizing it wants to avoid a nuclear catastrophe.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, also speaking at the Security Council, warned that the Iran-Israel conflict could spiral out of control.
He urged all sides to “give peace a chance” before it’s too late.