Israel’s navy stated Saturday it struck an Iranian nuclear analysis facility in a single day and killed three senior Iranian commanders in focused assaults, whereas emphasizing it was making ready for the likelihood that the battle might flip right into a prolonged marketing campaign.
Early Saturday, smoke may very well be seen rising from an space close to a mountain in Isfahan, the place a neighborhood official stated Israel had attacked the nuclear analysis facility in two waves.
The goal was two centrifuge manufacturing websites, and the assaults got here on prime of strikes on different centrifuge manufacturing websites elsewhere in current days, in accordance with an Israeli navy official talking on situation of anonymity below military pointers to temporary reporters. It was the second assault on Isfahan, which was hit within the first 24 hours of the warfare as a part of Israel’s purpose to destroy the Iranian nuclear program.
Israeli air protection system fires to intercept missiles throughout an Iranian assault over Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, June 21, 2025.
Leo Correa / The Related Press
Akbar Salehi, Isfahan province’s deputy governor for safety affairs, confirmed the Israeli strikes had induced harm to the ability however stated there had been no human casualties.
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Iran launched a brand new wave of drones and missiles at Israel however there have been no fast reviews of serious harm, and the Israeli official known as it a “small barrage” that was largely intercepted by Israel’s defences.
The official stated a part of the explanation that Iran’s in a single day assault had been comparatively small was that the navy had been focusing on its launchers, and estimates it has now taken out greater than 50 per cent of them.
“We’ve been in a position to take out a considerable amount of their launchers, making a bottleneck — we’re making it tougher for them to fireplace towards Israel,” he stated. “Having stated all that, I need to say the Iranian regime clearly nonetheless has capabilities.”
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Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service stated Saturday an Iranian drone hit a two-story constructing in northern Israel, however there have been no casualties.
Later, the Israeli navy’s chief spokesman, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, stated the military had been advised by Chief of Employees Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir to be ready for a “extended marketing campaign” to destroy its targets, together with nuclear websites, enrichment services and missile infrastructure.
“We’re deepening our strikes evening after evening and we now have superb achievements,” he stated. “We’ll proceed till the menace is eliminated.”
Talks in Switzerland fail to supply a breakthrough
Talks in Geneva on Friday failed to supply a breakthrough. European officers expressed hope for future discussions, and Iranian Overseas Minister Abbas Araghchi stated he was open to additional dialogue whereas emphasizing that Tehran had no real interest in negotiating with the U.S. whereas Israel continued attacking.
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Iranian Overseas Minister Abbas Araghchi listens to speeches as he attends the Council of Overseas Ministers of the Group of Islamic Cooperation assembly, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, June 21, 2025.
Khalil Hamra / The Related Press
“Iran is able to think about diplomacy as soon as once more and as soon as aggression is stopped and the aggressor is held accountable for the crimes dedicated,” he advised reporters.
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No date was set for the following spherical of talks.
Iran warns in opposition to US navy involvement
U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing lively U.S. navy involvement within the battle, which Araghchi stated Saturday “could be very unlucky.”
U.S. President Donald Trump appears to be like on the Rose Backyard on the White Home in Washington, D.C., the USA, on June 20, 2025. Trump stated Friday will probably be tough to request Israel cease its airstrikes in Iran, at the same time as he pursues a diplomatic answer to finish the battle.
Hu Yousong/Xinhua through ZUMA Press
“I feel that it could be very, very harmful for everybody,” he stated in Istanbul, talking on the sidelines of a gathering of the Group of Islamic Cooperation.
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The warfare between Israel and Iran erupted June 13, with Israeli airstrikes focusing on nuclear and navy websites, prime generals and nuclear scientists. No less than 722 folks, together with 285 civilians, have been killed in Iran and greater than 2,500 wounded, in accordance with a Washington-based Iranian human rights group.
Iran has retaliated by firing greater than 450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel, in accordance with Israeli military estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel’s multitiered air defences, however not less than 24 folks in Israel have been killed and a whole lot wounded.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated Israel’s navy operation in Iran would proceed “for so long as it takes” to get rid of what he known as the existential menace of Iran’s nuclear program and arsenal of ballistic missiles.
However Netanyahu’s purpose may very well be out of attain with out U.S. assist. Barring a commando raid or perhaps a nuclear strike, Iran’s underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility is taken into account to be out of attain to all however America’s “bunker-buster” bombs. Trump stated he would delay deciding whether or not to hitch Israel’s air marketing campaign in opposition to Iran for as much as two weeks.
Israel continues focused assaults on Iranian navy commanders
In Israel’s opening assault, it killed three of Iran’s prime navy leaders: one who oversaw all the armed forces, Gen. Mohammad Bagheri; one who led the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami; and the top of the Guard’s ballistic missile program, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh.
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The focused killings of senior commanders continued, with Israel’s defence minister saying Saturday that the navy had killed a commander in Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the Oct. 7, 2023, assault on Israel that sparked the 20-month lengthy warfare in Gaza.
Israel stated Saeed Izadi was commander of the Palestine Corps for the Iranian Quds Power, an elite arm of the Guard that conducts navy and intelligence operations exterior Iran, and that he was killed in an condominium within the metropolis of Qom.
Iranian officers didn’t instantly affirm the dying, however the Qom governor’s workplace did say there had been an assault on a four-story condominium constructing and native media reported two folks had been killed.
Israel additionally stated it had killed the commander of the Quds Power’s weapons switch unit, who it stated was liable for offering weapons to Hezbollah and Hamas. Behnam Shahriyari was killed in his automotive whereas touring in western Iran, the navy stated.
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A commander of Iran’s drone power was additionally killed in a single day, the Israeli official who briefed reporters stated.
Iran threatens head of U.N. nuclear watchdog
On Friday, the top of the U.N. nuclear watchdog warned at an emergency assembly of the U.N. Safety Council in opposition to assaults on Iran’s nuclear reactors, significantly its solely industrial nuclear energy plant within the southern metropolis of Bushehr.
“I need to make it completely and fully clear: In case of an assault on the Bushehr nuclear energy plant, a direct hit would lead to a really excessive launch of radioactivity to the surroundings,” stated Rafael Grossi, head of the Worldwide Atomic Vitality Company. “That is the nuclear web site in Iran the place the results may very well be most severe.”
Israel has not focused Iran’s nuclear reactors, as an alternative focusing its strikes on the principle uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, centrifuge workshops close to Tehran, laboratories in Isfahan and the nation’s Arak heavy water reactor southwest of the capital.
FILE – Worldwide Atomic Vitality Company Director Common Rafael Mariano Grossi throughout a gathering with the Japanese authorities in Tokyo Thursday, March 14, 2024.
Eugene Hoshiko / The Related Press
Iran beforehand agreed to restrict its uranium enrichment and permit worldwide inspectors entry to its nuclear websites below a 2015 cope with the U.S., France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in alternate for sanctions reduction. However after Trump pulled the U.S. unilaterally out of the deal throughout his first time period, Iran started enriching uranium as much as 60 per cent — a brief, technical step away from weapons-grade ranges of 90 per cent — and proscribing entry to its nuclear services.
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Iran has lengthy maintained its nuclear program is for peaceable functions, however it’s the solely non-nuclear-weapon state to complement uranium as much as 60 per cent. Israel is extensively believed to be the one Center Jap nation with a nuclear weapons program however has by no means acknowledged it.
Leaders in Iran have blamed Grossi’s statements in regards to the standing of Iran’s nuclear program for prompting Israel’s assault.
On Saturday, a senior adviser for Iran’s Supreme Chief Ali Khamanei, Ali Larijani, stated in a short social media submit with out elaboration that Iran would make Grossi “pay” as soon as the warfare with Israel is over.
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Rising reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Related Press writers Mehmet Guzel in Istanbul, Josef Federman in Jerusalem and Farnoush Amiri in Dubai, UAE contributed to this report.
