June 17: Iran said readying missiles for potential strikes on US bases in Middle East

Iran’s Khamenei threatens Israel: ‘The battle begins’

This photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, shows Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a televised speech, under a portrait of the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, June 13, 2025. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei posts an apparent threat to Israel on social media, saying, “The battle begins.”

“Ali returns to Khaybar,” the post says, according to a translation by the Iran International news outlet. The statement is a reference to the first imam of Shia Islam and his conquest of the Jewish town of Khaybar in the 7th century.

The post includes an image a man holding a sword entering a castle-like gate, with fiery streaks in the sky overhead.

به نام نامی #حیدر، نبرد آغاز می‌گردد
علی با ذوالفقار خود، به #خیبر باز می‌گردد#الله_اکبر pic.twitter.com/yGYrXUDGoK

— KHAMENEI.IR | فارسی 🇮🇷 (@Khamenei_fa) June 17, 2025

The statement is Khamenei’s first public post since US President Donald Trump on social media demanded Iran’s unconditional surrender and said that the US was holding off on assassinating Khamenei “for now.”

Iran missile attack sparks fire in parking lot; no injuries

An Iranian missile attack sparks a fire in a parking lot in central Israel early on June 18, 2025 (X screenshot, used in accordance with clause 27a of the copyright law)

An impact from the Iranian missile attack an hour ago started a fire in a parking lot in central Israel.

שריפה פרצה במגרש מכוניות במרכז בעקבות הירי מאיראן pic.twitter.com/XnryyK1tLE

— ישראל היום (@IsraelHayomHeb) June 17, 2025

There are no injuries in the incident.

Some 20 cars are said to have sustained damage.

IDF says civilians can leave protected areas after latest missile attack

The IDF says civilians can leave protected areas after the latest missile attack from Iran.

There are no immediate reports of serious injuries in the barrage of around 10 missiles.

Sirens sound in central Israel in latest Iran missile attack; no injuries

Sirens sound in central Israel amid the latest missile attack from Iran.

The IDF instructs residents in those areas to take refuge in bomb shelters.

Residents of Tel Aviv report hearing explosions overhead.

Around 10 missiles were fired in the latest volley. There are no immediate reports of serious injuries. Fires are reported in several areas.

The volley is the second attack from Iran in less than an hour.

IDF reports another incoming Iran missile barrage

The IDF says that another round of Iranian missiles has been fired at Israel.

Israeli air defenses are working to intercept the missiles, the IDF says.

Sirens are expected to sound in the coming minutes.

Civilians in areas where sirens sound are instructed to enter bomb shelters and remain in them until further notice.

US stocks slump and oil prices jump as Trump urges Iran’s unconditional surrender

Illustrative: A handout picture provided on April 30, 2017, shows a general view of the Setareh Khalij Fars (Star of the Persian Gulf) oil refinery in the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas. (Handout/Iranian Presidency/AFP)

US stocks slump under the weight of another jump in the price of oil, in a return to form for financial markets after Wall Street’s worries about Israel’s fighting with Iran had seemed to calm a bit yesterday.

The S&P 500 falls 0.8% following signals that the Israel-Iran conflict may be worsening and that one of the US economy’s main engines is weakening. The swing sends Wall Street’s main measure of health nearly back to where it started the week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average drops 299 points, or 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite falls 0.9%.

Stocks sink under increasing pressure from crude oil prices, which climb in their latest see-saw move. A barrel of benchmark US crude jumps 4.3% to $74.84. Brent crude, the international standard, adds 4.4% to $76.45 per barrel.

Their gains accelerate after US President Donald Trump raised the temperature on Israel’s fight with Iran by calling for “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” on his social media platform and saying, “We are not going to” kill Iran’s leader, “at least for now.”

Before that, Trump had left a Group of Seven summit early and warned that people in Iran’s capital should evacuate immediately. It took only about eight hours for Trump to go from suggesting a nuclear deal with Iran remained “achievable” to urging Tehran’s 9.5 million residents to flee for their lives.

The fighting has the potential to drive up prices for crude oil and gasoline because Iran is a major producer of oil, and it sits on the narrow Strait of Hormuz, through which much of the world’s crude passes. Past conflicts in the area have caused spikes in oil prices, though they’ve historically proven to be only temporary after showing that they did not disrupt the flow of oil.

Medics responding to impacts in central Israel

Medics are responding to reports of several missile impacts in central Israel, following Iran’s latest attack.

Magen David Adom says it has not received any immediate reports of injuries.

At least 15 missiles were launched from Iran in the attack, according to preliminary IDF estimates.

The Home Front Command says civilians in areas where sirens sounded can now leave bomb shelters.

Incoming Iranian missiles set off sirens in central and northern Israel

Sirens are sounding across central and northern Israel amid an Iranian ballistic missile attack.

Civilians in areas where sirens are sounding are instructed to remain in bomb shelters until further notice.

IDF detects new missile volley from Iran; sirens expected in much of Israel

Rocket trails are seen in the sky above the coastal city of Netanya amid a fresh barrage of Iranian missile attacks on June 16, 2025. (JACK GUEZ / AFP)

The IDF says it has detected a new launch of ballistic missiles from Iran.

Sirens are expected to sound in Israel in the coming minutes, as air defenses work to shoot down the threats.

Civilians in areas where sirens sound are instructed to enter bomb shelters and remain in them until further notice.

Iran preps missiles for potential strikes on US bases in Middle East — report

In this image obtained from the US Department of Defense, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney in the Middle East region, on December 6, 2023. (Aaron Lau / US Department of Defense / AFP)

Iran has prepared missiles and other measures for potential strikes against US forces in the Middle East, The New York Times Reports.

The Iranian military is planning the possible attacks as a retaliatory measure if American forces join Israel’s strikes against Iran, the report says, citing American officials.

The officials add that, if the US strikes Fordo, a key Iranian nuclear facility, the Iran-linked Houthis in Yemen will likely attack ships in the Red Sea, as they have done before.

Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria will likely attempt to strike American bases in those countries, the officials say.

Iran could also place explosive mines in the Strait of Hormuz, at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, to keep US naval forces inside the gulf, the report says.

The US has tens of thousands of troops in the region, and Iran has missile bases within range of some of the American forces.

Netanyahu: 80 percent of Iranians hate their ruling regime

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to ABC News on June 16, 2025 (Screenshot)

In a Hebrew interview aired on Channel 14 this evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues a series of recent comments in favor of regime change in Tehran, and suggests that the current war could facilitate the Abraham Accords normalization agreements between Israel and Arab states.

Asked whether regime change is a goal of his war, Netanyahu says he “sees this through a historical lens…Cyrus freed the Jews, and today the Jewish state might free the Persians. Not in the sense that we’re doing it for them…In the end, they have to rise up themselves, but we are creating the conditions. And that’s why it could be consequential.”

Netanyahu twice claims in the interview that “80 percent” of Iranians “hate” the ruling regime, without providing where the figure came from. He calls Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a “modern Hitler” and says Israel plans to destroy “additional regime facilities” in the operation.

Netanyahu says he believes the war marks a turning point in the region: “We’re going to see a different Middle East, a reality we haven’t seen until now,” he states, predicting that the Arab world will further open up to Israel as a result of the war, and that the conflict could ultimately facilitate an expansion of the Abraham Accords.

“The Arab world has opened up to us,” Netanyahu says. “And the threat we face now is Iran. It’s either us or them.”

Houthi official says group will intervene to support Iran against Israel

Houthi supporters chant slogans during a weekly anti-US and anti-Israel rally in Sanaa, Yemen, June 13, 2025. (AP/Osamah Abdulrahman)

A member of Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebel group says on Al Jazeera Mubasher TV that the group will intervene to support Iran against Israel as it did in support of Palestinians in Gaza.

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi movement’s political bureau, also reiterates that the group is coordinating with Tehran during its ongoing military escalation with Israel.

The Houthis, which have been launching attacks against Israel in support of Palestinians in Gaza, said on Sunday that they targeted Israel in coordination with Iran, the first time an Iran-aligned group has publicly announced joint cooperation on attacks with Tehran.

Trump wraps up White House Situation Room meeting on Iran

US President Donald Trump steps off Air Force One after at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, June 17, 2025, after returning from Calgary, Canada and the G7 Summit. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

A White House Situation Room meeting on the Israel-Iran war has wrapped up after an hour and 20 minutes, a US official tells reporters.

US officials said Trump was keeping all options on the table, while insisting that Washington had no hand in the campaign so far.

The most likely option under consideration by Trump would be the use of giant US “bunker-buster” bombs against Iran’s deeply buried Fordo nuclear facility that Israel’s bombs cannot reach.

The New York Times said Trump was also considering allowing US tanker aircraft to refuel Israeli combat jets so they could carry out long-range missions.

US officials said dismantling Iran’s nuclear program — which Western countries say Tehran is using to seek a nuclear weapon, although the Iranian government denies this — remains Trump’s priority.

Palestinian man detained in West Bank for allegedly planning terror attack

A Palestinian who was allegedly planning to carry out a terror attack was detained in the northern West Bank town of Tammun this evening, the military and police say.

Alongside the terror suspect, another member of a local terror network was detained by IDF reservists and Border Police officers, a joint statement says.

Elsewhere, in Jenin and Far’a, three more wanted Palestinians were detained.

Earlier, the IDF announced that the Nahal Brigade launched a new counter-terrorism offensive in the northern West Bank.

Chief rabbi rules El Al repatriation flights must not fly on Shabbat

An El Al plane parked at Ben Gurion Airport, May 7, 2025. (Nati Shohat/Flash90)

Sephardic Chief Rabbi David Yosef tells Transportation Minister Miri Regev and El Al management that it is not permissible to break Shabbat to operate repatriation flights for Israelis stranded abroad, his spokesperson confirms to The Times of Israel.

Some 150,000 Israelis are estimated to be stuck outside of the country, since Israel closed off its airspace in the early morning of Friday amid the dramatic escalation with Iran.

The Transportation Ministry, as well as Israeli airlines El Al, Arkia and Israir, have been working to organize repatriation flights to bring them home as soon as the security conditions allow it. The flights are scheduled to begin tomorrow.

El Al typically does not operate on Shabbat.

However, considering the extenuating circumstances, Regev and El Al asked Yosef if rescue flights could be arranged also on Saturdays.

Jewish law allows breaking Shabbat in matters of pikuah nefesh, or life and death, a concept that is at times interpreted broadly.

However, in this case, Yosef rules that there is no immediate threat to those who are stranded and therefore no grounds to allow flights on Shabbat.

According to a spokesperson for Regev, the rescue operation to bring home stranded Israelis will operate 24/7.

“The rabbi’s prohibition is specifically for El Al,” he says. “We will continue with whoever can fly or sail.”

Arkia operates on Shabbat and is also organizing repatriation flights.

In addition, Mano Maritime will operate two cruise voyages to help bring back stranded Israelis by sea from Cyprus to Israel in coordination with the Transportation Ministry.

IDF issues fresh evacuation order for areas of southern Gaza

Palestinians carry bags containing food and humanitarian aid packages delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed organization, in Rafah, southern Gaza, June 16, 2025. (AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)

The IDF issues a new evacuation warning in the southern Gaza Strip, slightly expanding a large no-go zone.

“The IDF is operating with great force in the areas where you are located to destroy the capabilities of the terror organizations,” the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee, says on X, attaching a map showing the areas that are to be evacuated.

Civilians are called to head to the Mawasi area on the coast.

#عاجل ‼️ الى سكان قطاع غزة في أحياء الجلاء، مدينة حمد والقراره 5 و 6

⭕️جيش الدفاع يعمل بقوة شديدة جدًا لتدمير قدرات المنظمات الإرهابية في المنطقة وسيهاجم كل موقع يتم استخدامه لاطلاق قذائف صاروخية

⭕️من أجل أمنكم، أخلوا فوراً الى منطقة المواصي ولا تحاولوا العودة الى مناطق القتال… pic.twitter.com/8k5NQ5j3wY

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) June 17, 2025

Netanyahu briefs Herzog on security situation

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) briefs President Isaac Herzog on June 17, 2025. (Avi Ohayon / GPO)

During ongoing operations against Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met this evening with President Isaac Herzog for a security update meeting, says the Prime Minister’s Office.

Earlier today, Netanyahu also briefed Opposition Leader Yair Lapid on the security situation.

Israel won’t end operation against Iran before damaging Fordo, says national security adviser

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows the Fordo enrichment facility in Iran on January 24, 2025. (Maxar Technologies via AP)

Israel’s operation against Iran “will not end without damaging the Fordo nuclear facility,” promises National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi in an interview with Channel 12.

The site, 90 meters (295 feet) underground, houses thousands of centrifuges to enrich uranium. Israel’s conventional munitions can’t reach that deep, and it would take the US joining the fight to knock it out from the air.

“I don’t know if the US will join,” says Hanegbi, adding that Israel is talking to the US continuously, but is not trying to convince them.

“The plan is blue and white, including all elements of the offensive,” he says, referring to the colors of the Israeli flag.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintains an “intimate dialogue” with US President Donald Trump, says Hanegbi, adding that Israel knew there was no guarantee of American involvement when it decided to go ahead with the operation.

Trump is meeting with his national security team to discuss the possibility of joining the attack on Iran’s nuclear program, according to multiple reports.

On attempts to reach a hostage deal in Gaza, Hanegbi says there hasn’t been progress of late because Hamas has not responded to the latest Israeli offer.

Iran launched two ballistic missiles at northern Israel in latest attack, says IDF

Two ballistic missiles were launched at Israel in Iran’s latest attack, according to IDF assessments.

There are no reports of impacts in urban areas or injuries.

Sirens had sounded across northern Israel.

Macron warns attempt at regime change in Iran would bring ‘chaos’

French President Emmanuel Macron arrives to hold a press conference at the Elysee Paslace in Paris on June 13, 2025, after Israel launched a wave of strikes across Iran. (Michel Euler / POOL / AFP)

French President Emmanuel Macron warns that any attempt to change the regime in Iran would result in “chaos” in the Middle East.

Macron was speaking at a G7 summit in Canada shortly after US President Donald Trump said the United States would not kill Iran’s supreme leader “for now.”

But the French leader adds that Trump has a critical role in restarting diplomacy with Tehran, and says he believes the US president favors a ceasefire between Iran and Israel.

“I believe we need the United States of America to bring everyone back around the table,” Macron tells reporters.

MDA: No initial reports of impacts or injuries in Iranian missile attack on north

Israelis take cover in a parking lot in Tel Aviv, as a siren is heard warning of incoming ballistic missiles fired from Iran, June 17, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

There are no immediate reports of impacts in urban areas or injuries in the latest Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel, Magen David Adom says.

According to initial IDF assessments, a small number of missiles were fired from Iran in the attack.

Sirens had sounded across northern Israel.

The IDF says residents who sought shelter can now leave their protected spaces.

Sirens sounding in Haifa, Galilee amid incoming Iranian ballistic missile attack

Sirens are sounding in northern Israel following the launch of ballistic missiles from Iran.

Civilians in areas where sirens are sounding are instructed to remain in bomb shelters until further notice.

IDF says it has detected a new launch of ballistic missiles from Iran

The IDF says it has detected a new launch of ballistic missiles from Iran.

Sirens are expected to sound in Israel in the coming minutes, as air defenses work to shoot down the threats.

Civilians in areas where sirens sound are instructed to enter bomb shelters and remain in them until further notice.

State Department sets up task force to help Americans trying to leave Middle East

A row of evacuated aircrafts belonging to Israeli airlines El Al sit parked along the apron of Cyprus' main airport in Larnaca, June 14, 2025. (AP/Petros Karadjias)

The State Department has created a special task force to assist Americans seeking to leave Israel and other Mideast countries amid the conflict with Iran, although no government evacuations are currently planned.

The task force run by the Bureau of Consular Affairs is operating 24 hours to provide information to US citizens and lawful permanent residents wanting to return to the United States.

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce tells reporters that “we continue to monitor the complex and rapidly evolving situation on the ground as we continue to assess and address the needs of US citizens.”

She would not say how many people had sought advice from the task force.

There are some 700,000 Americans, many of them dual US-Israeli citizens, now in Israel and thousands more in other Mideast countries, including Iran.

Trump convenes National Security Council meeting on Iran, says White House official

US President Donald Trump listens as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on April 30, 2025 in Washington, DC (Andrew Harnik / Getty Images via AFP)

US President Donald Trump is convening a meeting of his National Security Council to discuss the Iran-Israel war, a White House official says on condition of anonymity.

The meeting comes after Trump stepped up his rhetoric against Iran’s supreme leader, sparking questions about possible US military intervention.

The US president also declared earlier today that “we” have control of Iran’s skies, without elaborating.

60 Israeli jets carrying out ‘extensive wave of strikes’ on Iran, says IDF spokesman

Smoke plumes billow following an overnight Israeli strike on Tehran on June 17, 2025. (Atta Kenare/AFP)

IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin says 60 Israeli Air Force jets set out for an “extensive wave of strikes in the heart of Iran,” a few hours ago, targeting ballistic missile launchers aimed at Israel.

He says that because of Israel’s strikes in recent days, Iran’s forces have withdrawn to central Iran.

“Now, they are putting efforts into launching [missiles] from Isfahan,” he says. “They withdrew from western Iran, but we are coming after them.”

Israel strikes 12 Iranian missile storage and launch sites, says IDF

An Israeli Air Force fighter jet prepares to take off for strikes in Iran, June 17, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

The Israeli Air Force carried out a wave of strikes against 12 Iranian missile storage and launch sites, the military says.

The IDF publishes footage showing the identification of Iranian preparations to launch ballistic missiles at Israel, and a strike on the site.

Another video shows a strike on an Iranian air defense system at one of the sites.

צה״ל השלים גל תקיפות של אתרים לשיגור ואחסון טילים בלב איראן

חיל האוויר תקף היום, 12 אתרי שיגור ואחסון טילים שכוונו לעבר אזרחי מדינת ישראל, בהכוונת אגף המודיעין pic.twitter.com/FyjdvlxeVl

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) June 17, 2025

Palestinian man beaten by settlers near Hebron, say witnesses

A Palestinian resident of the village of Susiya, in his 40s, was injured after being beaten by settlers with a metal rod, according to a Palestinian source and an Israeli activist present in the area who spoke to The Times of Israel.

A local Palestinian source said that around 20 settlers entered the village, south of Hebron, and began throwing stones. The resident was struck in the head outside his home when two settlers beat him with a rod. He was later evacuated to a Palestinian hospital.

The source added that after attacking the Palestinian, the settlers fled the scene, and Israeli army and police forces arrived only after the incident had ended.

Police have yet to issue a response.

IDF chief says a strong home front enables military ‘to keep functioning’

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir (center) speaks to officers at the scene of an Iranian ballistic missile impact in Bat Yam, June 17, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visits the scene of an Iranian ballistic missile impact in Bat Yam, saying, “civilian resilience is critical for us. It’s a central component of our ability to continue functioning.”

“We are fighting a war here that leaves us no choice, and it is being conducted across all dimensions. We are determined to complete our missions, and everything we were tasked with, we will achieve,” Zamir says to Home Front Command officers in a video published by the IDF.

“We are in an extraordinary moment. Right now, we are hunting ballistic missiles, there are UAVs out there, our fighter jets are involved, it’s something crazy, 1,500 kilometers from Israel, we’re tracking and destroying those ballistic missiles,” he says.

“Now your layer comes in, and it’s a very significant layer in the sense that when something hits, forces are on the ground, and people draw strength from seeing you,” he says to the Home Front Command officers. “You arrive quickly, rescue people safely, treat the wounded, and sadly, there are also fatalities in these events.”

“Civilian resilience is critical for us. It’s a central component of our ability to continue functioning. You said it yourselves: We’re not stopping now. Why aren’t we stopping? Because the home front’s resilience is strong. When the resilience of the home front is strong, we have the confidence to keep operating,” Zamir adds.

Iran threatens residents of Haifa and Tel Aviv with ‘punitive operations’

Israeli emergency services and police deploy on a closed-off road as smoke billows from a site near Tel Aviv following a barrage of Iranian rockets on June 17, 2025. (Menahem KAHANA / AFP)

Iran’s armed forces chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi urges residents of Haifa and Tel Aviv to evacuate, warning of imminent “punitive” attacks.

“Punitive operations will be carried out soon,” Mousavi says in a video statement carried by state TV on the fifth day of the deadly confrontation.

Referring to Israel, Mousavi said that “residents of the occupied territories, especially Tel Aviv and Haifa, are strongly urged to leave these areas for the sake of their lives.”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said earlier that they had launched an attack targeting Israeli air bases from which they claim fighter jets have taken off to strike the Islamic Republic.

“In the new wave of attacks, a large-scale missile operation was carried out against the air bases of the Zionist regime’s army, which are the bases from which the regime’s fighter jets take off towards our beloved country,” the Guards said in a statement carried by state TV.

Sirens were triggered earlier this evening across a wide swath of southern Israel, including Israeli airbases. The IDF says both ballistic missiles were intercepted.

2 rockets from Gaza fell in open areas in south, says IDF

Two rockets launched from the southern Gaza Strip struck open areas in southern Israel, causing no injuries, the IDF says.

Sirens were not activated in any communities.

Iran launching smaller salvos of missiles due to Israel diminishing its capabilities — IDF

Israeli air defense systems are activated to intercept Iranian missiles over Haifa on June 16, 2025. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP)

Iran has been launching smaller salvos of missiles at Israel over the past two days because its capabilities have been degraded by Israeli strikes, the IDF believes.

According to IDF assessments, Iran is not trying to conserve missiles for a longer war, but rather, they are struggling to coordinate larger attacks.

The majority of Iran’s top military leadership has been eliminated in strikes, and some 40% of its ballistic missile launchers have been destroyed, according to the IDF.

The IDF has also said it has been “hunting down” missile launchers and thwarting the attacks.

Iran was launching dozens of missiles at a time in the first days of the conflict, but in the past day has been launching only a handful at a time. However, those attacks have been more frequent.

Because of the smaller missile attacks, the Home Front Command removed its pre-launch alert, which instructed civilians in areas potentially under threat from Iranian ballistic missiles to be prepared to head to bomb shelters.

Iran reports major Israeli ‘cyber war’ as Tehran restricts internet for citizens

Israel has launched a “massive cyber war” against Iran’s digital infrastructure, Iranian media quotes the country’s cybersecurity command as saying.

Many of the attacks were successfully repelled, the command adds.

Meanwhile, a range of reports indicate that Iran is restricting access for the public to the outside world, as landline telephones appear to be no longer able to receive or dial international phone calls.

Iran offered no acknowledgment of the restriction, which has happened during nationwide protests in the past and during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war.

International websites also appeared to be restricted for internet users. However, local websites appeared to be functioning. That likely signals Iran has turned on its so-called “halal net,” Iran’s own locally controlled version of the internet aimed at restricting what the public can see.

Iran meanwhile bans government officials and their bodyguards from using all communication devices linked to the networks. The ban includes mobile phones, smart watches and laptops.

Iran did not elaborate on the reason for the ban, which was reported by the semiofficial Fars news agency. However, it suggests Iran suspects Israel used digital signatures from electronics to launch its strikes, which have decimated Iran’s military leadership.

Iranian state TV urges the public to remove the messaging app WhatsApp from their smartphones, alleging without offering any evidence the app gathered user information to send to Israel. WhatsApp denied any such reports.

IDF Home Front Command says no current changes to guidelines for civilians

Israelis take shelter in a parking garage during a missile alert from Iran, in Tel Aviv, early June 17, 2025. (AP/Baz Ratner)

Following a fresh assessment, the IDF Home Front Command says there are no changes to guidelines for civilians amid the conflict with Iran.

All gatherings are prohibited and schools will not open. Workplaces are also closed, apart from those deemed critical.

The guidelines remain in effect until Wednesday night, when the Home Front Command will conduct another assessment.

Additional victim in Iranian missile strike on Petah Tikva named as Daisy Yitzhaki, 85

Responders inspect a damaged building following a strike by an Iranian missile in Petah Tikva on June 16, 2025. (Jack GUEZ / AFP)

Petah Tikva resident Daisy Yitzhaki, 85, is identified as one of the four people killed yesterday morning in an Iranian missile strike on an apartment in the city.

The direct impact also injured Yitzhaki’s caregiver, according to Ynet.

“With deep sorrow and great pain, we bow our heads together with all city residents over the cruel murder of four Petah Tikva residents in yesterday’s deadly missile barrage,” says Rami Greenberg, the city’s mayor.

פורסם שם נוסף של הרוגה בנפילה בפתח תקווה: דזי יצחקי ז"ל, תושבת העיר@eli_zil pic.twitter.com/i9mZs3NYca

— גלצ (@GLZRadio) June 17, 2025

Earlier today, the names of two other victims were announced — Yaakov and Hadassah Belo.

Ofir Belo, the couple’s Brazil-based son, announced their death on Facebook, saying he is in “total shock.”

Israel has destroyed 70 air defense batteries in Iran so far, says IDF

Smoke rises up after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, June 13, 2025. (AP/Vahid Salemi)

The Israeli Air Force has destroyed 70 Iranian air defense batteries since the start of the IDF’s operation in Iran, according to the military.

In the first 24 hours of the operation early Friday, over 40 Iranian air defense systems were struck, according to the IDF, giving the IAF air supremacy over western Iran and Tehran.

Since then, another 30 systems have been targeted in waves of strikes, opening up a path for IAF fighter jets and drones to operate deeper within Iran, the military says.

The military says IAF drones continue to hunt down surface-to-air missile launchers and radars across the country.

Footage released by the IDF on June 17, 2025, shows a strike on an Iranian air defense system. (Israel Defense Forces)

IAF chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar says the strikes on the Iranian air defense systems are “a historic mission that could change the entire course of the campaign.”

GHF says only three aid distribution sites opened in Gaza today

A Palestinian woman carries a humanitarian aid package west of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, on June 16, 2025. (Bashar TALEB / AFP)

After opening four distribution sites yesterday, the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation only opens three locations today, and sees a significant drop in the number of meals given out.

The GHF says that it distributed nearly 1.9 million meals today in almost 33,000 boxes, according to its daily update. Yesterday, it distributed over 3.1 million meals in 55,000 boxes, the most since it started operations last month. The foundation says each box contains meals for 5.5 people for 3.5 days.

“Early overcrowding” at the SDS1 site in Rafah’s Tel Sultan neighborhood prevented trucks from arriving, says GHF Interim Executive Director John Acree.

“At present, Gaza is not a controlled environment,” says Acree. “It is a humanitarian emergency and we are operating under an emergency environment in a conflict zone.”

“People are starving and their desperation can create hazardous conditions,” he continues. “The uncomfortable truth is this: Until there is enough food aid inside Gaza, we will not always complete ‘orderly’ deliveries. GHF is doing everything it can to provide food quickly… and at scale. That is much more than can be said for others involved.”

Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry claimed this morning that Israeli tank shellfire killed at least 51 Palestinians as they awaited aid trucks in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.

The World Health Organization said initial reports pointed to at least 20 fatalities.

The IDF says it is investigating.

VP Vance says Trump ‘may decide’ on ‘further action’ to end Iranian enrichment

Vice President JD Vance speaks at a military parade commemorating the Army's 250th anniversary, June 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Writing on X, US Vice President JD Vance says he wants to address “a lot of crazy stuff on social media” about US President Donald Trump’s approach to Iran.

Vance made the case that Trump has been consistent that “Iran cannot have uranium enrichment” and has said “repeatedly that this would happen one of two ways — the easy way or the ‘other’ way.”

“He may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment. That decision ultimately belongs to the president,” Vance adds, amid criticism from some far-right figures close to the president in recent days. “And of course, people are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy. But I believe the president has earned some trust on this issue.”

Trump says US knows where Khamenei ‘is hiding,’ but won’t assassinate him ‘for now’

A composite image shows US President Donald Trump, left, addressing a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, March 4, 2025, and a handout of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attending a ceremony in Tehran, Iran, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis - Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

US President Donald Trump says Washington knows where Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is “hiding” and could assassinate him, but is refraining from doing so for now in order not to spark retaliation against American civilians and troops.

“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there — We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,” Trump writes on Truth Social.

“But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin,” he adds.

In a subsequent post, he writes, “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.”

No reports of impacts or injuries after ballistic missiles trigger sirens in south

There are no reports of impacts in populated areas or injuries in the latest Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel, Magen David Adom says.

According to initial IDF assessments, a small number of missiles were fired from Iran in the attack.

Sirens had sounded in southern Israel.

Hostage pointman says focus remains on captives even during escalation with Iran

The weekly rally for the hostages at Sha'ar Hanegev, represented by a few people in person and held virtually, following directives of the Home Front Command, June 14, 2025. (Courtesy)

Israel has not reduced its focus on bringing the hostages back from Gaza, even during the war against Iran, government hostage pointman Gal Hirsch tells hostages’ families.

“In these critical hours, our eyes remain fixed on the hostages,” he says in a missive. “We are fully aware of the ongoing nightmare the hostages are enduring — and you, their dear families, with them.”

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum accused the government earlier today of abandoning the effort to bring their loved ones home, claiming in a statement that the issue has “disappeared” from the government’s agenda.

“Talks with the mediators and with the Americans are ongoing, but we are cautious in describing the situation,” says Hirsch, adding that the fight against Iran could cause some progress.

“As occurred previously during the prisoner exchange deal in January 2025, the current developments may have an impact once again. The potential certainly exists, and we are acting accordingly,” he writes.

“The prime minister, cabinet ministers and the heads of the security establishment see the return of the hostages as a central mission. We will not give up on anyone,” he pledges.

“Alongside the campaign against Iran, the effort to bring back the hostages continues — at all times and through all means,” he writes, stressing that all efforts continue: “Negotiations, intelligence, operations, foreign relations, influence efforts, public and covert diplomacy, family support and inter-ministerial and inter-organizational coordination.”

Trump declares that ‘we’ have control of Iran’s skies

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press as he meets Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during the Group of Seven (G7) Summit at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada on June 16, 2025. (Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)

US President Donald Trump says that “we” have control of the skies over Iran as questions grow over whether the United States will join Israel’s strikes against the Islamic Republic.

“We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran,” Trump writes on Truth Social, hailing the use of US-made weaponry, although without explicitly mentioning Israel. “Nobody does it better than the good ol’ USA.”

Sirens sounding in southern Israel after Iranian ballistic missile attack

Sirens are sounding in southern Israel following the launch of ballistic missiles from Iran.

Civilians in areas where sirens are sounding are instructed to remain in bomb shelters until further notice.

Launch of ballistic missiles from Iran detected, says IDF

The IDF says it has detected the launch of ballistic missiles from Iran.

Sirens are expected to sound in Israel in the coming minutes, as air defenses work to shoot down the threats.

Civilians in areas where sirens sound are instructed to enter bomb shelters and remain in them until further notice.

Iran announces new wave of attacks on Israel, according to state TV

Firefighters work at a site hit by a missile launched from Iran in central Israel on June 17, 2025. (Eli Katzoff/Times of Israel)

Iran launched a new wave of attacks targeting Israel today, state TV reports, as fighting between the longtime foes raged for a fifth straight day.

“The 10th wave of Operation Honest Promise 3 against the occupied territories [Israel] has begun,” state TV says, with the Tasnim news agency reporting that the new barrage consists of “drone and missile attacks” by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

No sirens have sounded in Israel in the past two hours. The IDF seeks to give residents at least a 10-minute warning of incoming ballistic missiles from Iran.

Israel will achieve its objectives against Iran within a week or two, say IDF officials

An Israeli Air Force fighter jet prepares to take off for strikes in Iran, June 17, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

The Israeli military estimates it will achieve its objectives against Iran’s nuclear program within a week or two, IDF officials tell reporters.

Israel set out on the operation in Iran with the objective of removing the “existential threat” of the Iranian nuclear program and ballistic missile capabilities.

The IDF has so far bombed two Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities, Natanz and Isfahan, and caused significant damage to both. It has also killed at least nine key nuclear scientists who were working on a bomb, and struck several other facilities supporting Iran’s nuclear program, including offices and command centers.

The military has so far denied striking the underground Fordo nuclear facility, but says it is in its “bank of targets.” Defense Minister Israel Katz said earlier that Fordo is “an issue that will certainly be addressed.”

The IDF also says that some 40% of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers, or some 200, have been destroyed or neutralized so far amid the operation. This has also apparently played a role in limiting Iran’s missile fire on Israel in the past two days.

In terms of Iran’s military, the IDF says it has killed dozens of commanders, including the vast majority of the top leadership of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian Armed Forces. Military officials say that it has killed three times more Iranian commanders than it had initially anticipated when planning the operation.

The operation in Iran was planned months in advance, with military officials saying that the most challenging part was cracking the issue of Iran’s air defenses. Israel has since obtained air supremacy over western Iran and Tehran.

White House highlights times Trump vowed not to allow Iran to obtain nukes

US President Donald Trump gestures as he attends a group photo session during the G7 Summit, in Kananaskis, Alberta on June 16, 2025. (Suzanne Plunkett/Pool Photo via AP)

Amid the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, the White House sends an email to reporters citing the 15-plus times that US President Donald Trump has pledged not to allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon since taking office and the 40-plus times he did so during the presidential campaign.

2 more victims of Haifa missile impact named as oil workers Igor Fradkin and Uri Levy

Uri Levy (left) and Igor Fradkin (Courtesy)

Igor Fradkin, 50, and Uri Levy, 58, are named as two of the three people killed in Iran’s missile strike on Haifa’s Bazan oil refinery.

Both worked in the oil refinery that was struck in the early hours of yesterday morning. Their coworker, 59-year-old Kiryat Motzkin resident Dani Avraham, was named as a victim last night.

Fradkin, a resident of nearby Kiryat Ata, leaves behind three children.

“My heart goes out to the Fradkin family in this difficult time of loss and bereavement,” says Kiryat Ata Mayor Yaakov Peretz in a statement. “On behalf of myself and the residents of the city, I offer my deepest condolences.”

Levy, who lived in Haifa and worked for decades at the oil refinery, leaves behind his wife, three children and granddaughter. One of his sons got married just two weeks ago, the Kan public broadcaster reports.

Israir to start repatriation flights tomorrow from Cyprus, Greece, Bulgaria

An Israir flight seen taking off from Ben Gurion Airport, on March 24, 2018. (Moshe Shai/FLASH90)

Israeli carrier Israir says it is preparing to operate three repatriation flights on Wednesday to bring back stranded Israelis from Larnaca (Cyprus), Athens (Greece) and Varna (Bulgaria), following the approval from relevant local authorities.

Passengers on these flights have already been assigned and informed, Israir says.

IDF: Iran fired just two ballistic missiles in latest attack on Israel

The entrance to Ramat Gan's Bialik Light Rail Station with a sign designating it as a protected space, June 16, 2025. (Ariela Karmel)

Just two ballistic missiles were launched at Israel in Iran’s latest attack, according to the IDF’s updated assessments.

One was intercepted while the second struck an open area, “according to policy,” as it was not going to hit any critical infrastructure or urban areas.

Sirens had sounded across central Israel.

Trump shares Huckabee’s lengthy text message of praise: ‘This moment sought YOU!’

Then-Republican US presidential nominee Donald Trump (R) and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee during a roundtable at the Drexelbrook Catering & Event Center, October 29, 2024, in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. (AP/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

On his social media site, Trump shares a screenshot of a text from Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, who is also a Baptist minister and a former Arkansas governor.

Huckabee opens by referencing last year’s attempted assassination of Trump in Pennsylvania, saying Trump was spared by God to be the “most consequential President in a century — maybe ever.”

"From Mike Huckabee, a Pastor, Politician, Ambassador, and Great Person!" –President Donald J. Trump @USAmbIsrael pic.twitter.com/hB9oD0WTQk

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 17, 2025

Huckabee says no president in his lifetime “has been in a position like yours. Not since Truman in 1945.” That’s a reference to US President Harry Truman’s decision to drop an atomic bomb on Japan during World War II.

Trump returned to Washington early this morning after leaving an international summit a day ahead of schedule because of the Israel-Iran conflict.

“You did not seek this moment. This moment sought YOU!” Huckabee wrote, adding, “It is my honor to serve you!”

Loud blasts heard in north Tehran amid reported Israeli strikes, strikes reported in Isfahan

Smoke billows in the distance from an oil refinery following an Israeli strike on the Iranian capital Tehran on June 17, 2025. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

An AFP journalist heard a series of loud explosions in north Tehran today, as Israel keeps up its strikes on Iran’s military and nuclear facilities for a fifth day.

It was not immediately clear whether the blasts were the result of incoming Israeli strikes or Iranian air defense fire.

Meanwhile Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reports Israeli airstrikes around the city of Isfahan this afternoon, with air defense also firing. It did not elaborate on the targets.

A series of explosions and anti-aircraft fire also boomed throughout Tehran just before 6:30 p.m. local time.

Germany’s Merz says Israel is doing the ‘dirty work for all of us’ by countering Iran

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz gives a statement in Berlin before traveling to the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada, on June 15, 2025. (John MacDougall/AFP)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expresses strong support for Israel in its attacks on Iran, speaking on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada.

“This is the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us. We are also victims of this regime. This mullah regime has brought death and destruction to the world,” Merz says in an interview with the ZDF broadcaster.

Speaking to broadcaster Welt, Merz says the leadership in Tehran has been weakened by Israel’s attacks in the past few days.

“This regime is very weakened and will probably not return to its former strength, making the future of the country uncertain. We will have to wait and see,” he says.

He adds that the Europeans’ offer of diplomatic assistance, should talks resume, still stands as it did before the attacks.

“If a new situation were to arise, Germany, France and the United Kingdom would again be prepared to provide diplomatic assistance, as they were until last Thursday,” he says.

Tourism Ministry says it will help tourists seeking to leave Israel via special flights

An Israir flight takes off from Ben Gurion International Airport, outside of Tel Aviv, August 25, 2024. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)

The Tourism Ministry says it will assist tourists currently in Israel to register for specially coordinated departure flights from Israel once they are available.

For this purpose, the Tourism Ministry is opening a digital registration form that is being distributed through various online platforms to incoming tourism organizers, hotels, tour guides and other industry stakeholders. There are about 38,000 tourists currently in Israel, the ministry says.

The Tourism Ministry says it will consolidate and transfer the list, only as needed, to the National Security Council and the Transportation Ministry, so that coordination with airlines can be arranged to facilitate tourists’ departure from the country.

The form includes full name, phone number, email address and passport number, in accordance with privacy protection laws and regulations.

Tourists wishing to register are invited to fill out the form.

Birthright evacuates 1,500 participants to Cyprus via cruise ship

Birthright participants board a cruise ship to Cyprus from the Ashdod Port on June 17, 2025. (Erez Uzir/Birthright Israel)

Birthright Israel has evacuated 1,500 program participants stranded in Israel to Larnaca, Cyprus, aboard a luxury cruise ship, the organization says.

From Cyprus, participants from the US will fly to Tampa, Florida, on four wide-body planes chartered by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, according a statement from Birthright, which provides free educational visits to Israel for young adults. From there, they will be able to continue on to their respective hometowns.

The 13-hour cruise from Ashdod, aboard a luxury cruise ship operated by Mano Maritime, was escorted by the Israeli Navy for protection, Birthright says.

Approximately 2,800 young adults were stranded after their tour plans were interrupted by the launch of Israel’s preemptive strike on Iran early Friday morning. Those visiting from non-US countries, or participating in longer volunteer programs, will be evacuated in the coming days. Details will be shared when they are confirmed, Birthright says.

All transportation costs are being covered by Birthright Israel, it notes.

“Today we witnessed the true spirit of Birthright Israel — not only as an educational journey, but as a global family committed to the safety and well-being of every participant,” says Birthright CEO Gidi Mark. “This was a complex and emotional operation, carried out under immense pressure.”

64 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered Gaza yesterday, says Israel

Palestinians carry humanitarian aid packages west of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, on June 16, 2025, after trucks loaded with aid reportedly entered northern Gaza through the Israeli-controlled Zikim Gate. (Bashar TALEB / AFP)

The Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announces that 64 humanitarian aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip yesterday.

Israel resumed aid deliveries to Gaza on May 19, after a pause since March 2. Since then, 1,625 trucks have entered the Strip.

The aid underwent an inspection by Israeli authorities before entering via Zikim Crossing in the Strip’s north and Kerem Shalom Crossing in the south.

IDF: Most Iranian ballistic missiles in latest attack were shot down

Residents seeking shelter from Iranian missile attacks in Ramat Gan's Bialik Light Rail Station, June 16, 2025. (Ariela Karmel)

The IDF says most of the ballistic missiles launched at Israel from Iran a short while ago were intercepted by air defenses.

According to IDF assessments, fewer than 10 missiles were launched.

The Home Front Command says civilians in areas where sirens sounded can leave shelters.

Organizers of march to Gaza say Egyptian authorities beat and detained 3 participants

Members of a humanitarian convoy of at least 1,500 people, including activists and supporters from Algeria and Tunisia, shout pro-Palestinian slogans as they gather, on their way to Gaza via Egypt's Rafah Crossing, in Zawiya, Libya, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Yousef Murad)

Organizers of a march to the Egyptian border with Gaza say that three participants were abducted by plainclothes officers in Cairo amid a wave of arbitrary detentions, deportations and abuse by security forces.

Egypt’s interior and foreign ministries did not immediately respond to the allegations. Reuters could not independently verify the reported detentions or conditions.

The Global March to Gaza, launched this month, brought more than 4,000 activists from over 80 countries to Egypt in an attempt to peacefully approach the Rafah Border Crossing and draw attention to Gaza’s deepening humanitarian crisis, organizers say.

Since their arrival, dozens of participants say they have faced airport interrogations, deportations and roadblocks preventing access to the Sinai peninsula, which provides the land route to Gaza.

In a statement today, organizers say three international participants were forcibly taken from a Cairo cafe yesterday by security officers who did not identify themselves. Those named were Jonas Selhi and Huthayfa Abuserriya, both from Norway, and Saif Abukeshek, a Spanish citizen of Palestinian origin and one of the march’s organizers.

The statement says that according to Selhi, all three men were blindfolded, beaten and interrogated. Abukeshek, he says, faced especially severe abuse. His whereabouts remain unknown, while Selhi and Abuserriya have since been deported to Norway, organizers say.

No reports of impacts or injuries after Iran fires handful of missiles at Israel

There are no reports of impacts in urban areas or injuries in the latest Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel, Magen David Adom says.

According to initial IDF assessments, fewer than 10 missiles were launched in the attack.

Sirens had sounded across central Israel.

The IDF Home Front Command says those who heard sirens can now safely exit their shelters.

Arkia set to begin repatriation flights tomorrow

Israeli carrier Arkia says that starting tomorrow, it will launch flights to bring back stranded Israel home from several nearby destinations, including Karpathos in Greece, Larnaca in Cyprus, and Tivat in Montenegro.

All of tomorrow’s flights are already full, and passengers have been assigned in advance. There is no need to contact the service center, Arkia says.

Arkia says it is prepared to operate in any time window that security officials approve — including Shabbat — and continues to examine with the authorities the possibility of expanding the operation. Flights are carried out only subject to approvals from security officials and the Civil Aviation Authority.

Sirens sound in central Israel after Iran launches missiles at Israel

Sirens are sounding across central Israel following the launch of ballistic missiles from Iran.

Civilians in areas where sirens are sounding are instructed to enter bomb shelters and remain in them until further notice.

The IDF gave an advance warning about five minutes before the sirens sounded.

Life is ‘dire’ in Tehran amid Israeli strikes, food is scarce, says Afghan refugee

This handout picture released by the Iranian Red Crescent on June 17, 2025, shows members of rescue teams searching the debris inside a building in Tehran targeted by Israeli strikes. (Iranian Red Crescent / AFP)

Sirens blare every few hours in Tehran and people rush for shelter amid ongoing Israeli attacks, says an Afghan shopkeeper in Tehran. Life has never been so “dire” here, he says.

The man, originally from Kabul, has lived in the Iranian capital for the past four years. Now he says he has no means of getting out of the city and is stuck in the apartment he rents. He spoke to The Associated Press over the phone, declining to give his name for fear of reprisals from authorities who maintain that it’s business as normal.

But markets, stores and commercial areas are closed — and food is becoming scare, he says. “For two days now, food has been hard to find, especially bread.”

“The police don’t even allow us to go outside or leave the city. Everyone is forbidden from taking photos or videos,” he says. “I am in a war zone.”

IDF troops advancing into new area of Jabalia in northern Gaza

IDF troops operate in northern Gaza's Jabalia, in a handout photo published on June 17, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF troops are advancing into an area of northern Gaza’s Jabalia, which has not yet been reached during the military’s ground offensive against Hamas.

The military says for the first time, the 162nd Division is now operating in an area known as “Kafr Jabalia,” named after the Hamas battalion that was responsible for the area.

The IDF says it aims to locate and destroy terror infrastructure in the area, including tunnels. It says that so far, numerous terror operatives have been killed, and several tunnel shafts and rocket launchers have been destroyed.

El Al repatriation flights to begin tomorrow from Larnaca, Athens, Rome, Milan, Paris

Israel's national airline El AL aircraft is seen next to the control tower at Cyprus's main airport in Larnaca, June 14, 2025. (AP/Petros Karadjias)

El Al says it is preparing to start operating repatriation flights tomorrow from Larnaca, Athens, Rome, Milan and Paris in collaboration with the Transporation Ministry and aviation authorities.

El Al says passengers for these flights have already been assigned and will receive notification today. There is no need to contact the service centers.

Passengers who hold a valid El Al or Sun Dor flight ticket to Israel, and whose flight was canceled, are entitled to an emergency flight at no additional cost, the airline says.

Prioritization of flight assignment is subject to the date of cancellation of the original flight and exceptional medical humanitarian cases.

The flights will be operated gradually, subject to approvals by aviation authorities and the defense establishment.

El Al says that at this point there are no outbound flights from Israel, only return flights bringing Israelis home.

Sonol energy firm says it may trim fuel supplies to businesses after Bazan hit

People fill up their gas tanks at a Sonol petrol station, in Mevasseret Zion, on May 22, 2023. (Yossi Aloni/FLASH90)

Israeli energy firm Sonol has informed business customers that it may cut back or cut off fuel supplies to them, after Israel’s largest oil refinery was forced to shut down operations due to damage from Iranian missile attacks.

In a letter to customers, the company says the Bazan refinery is unable to keep the spigot open at its usual pace due to damage to transmission lines following Iranian attacks that hit the company.

“In this situation, and due to the reasons which are out of our control, we are forced to inform you that we will shrink or cut off, on a case-by-case basis, the supply of fuels to our customers,” the company says in the letter.

It says it will make efforts to restore supplies once Bazan is back up and running.

Smoke billows from a missile impact site in the northern city of Haifa on June 16, 2025, where three people were killed in a strike on the Bazan oil refinery complex. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP)

Responding to the letter, the Energy Ministry says no shortage is expected and that Israel has plenty of fuel for everyone. It says it is continuing to work to ensure there is no harm to the energy supply chain.

Sonol is one of the Israel’s largest energy providers, with a large chain of gas stations as well as facilities that supply fuel to various industries, including jet fuel and diesel for railways.

Czech, Slovak planes evacuate 139 people from Israel via Egypt, Jordan

The Czech Republic and Slovakia have taken 139 people home on government planes from Israel because of its conflict with Iran, authorities say.

A Czech government plane carrying 66 people landed in Prague this morning a day after a Slovak plane had taken 73 evacuees to Bratislava from Amman.

Israel closed its air space last Friday after conducting strikes on Iran.

“I am glad they are all OK. The transport was really demanding in the difficult environment,” Czech Defense Minister Jana Cernochova says about the Czech flight on social media site X.

The defense ministry says most of the 66 evacuees were Czech nationals.

“It was not possible to send the army plane straight to Israel,” the ministry says in a statement, citing the airspace closure. “The evacuees were taken to the airport in the neighboring country by buses. They crossed the border on foot.”

Czech media said a convoy with the evacuees had left Tel Aviv yesterday morning and boarded the plane in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt.

A Slovak government plane with 73 passengers — mostly Slovaks, but also Poles, Czechs, Austrians, Slovenians and others — landed in Bratislava yesterday before 1700 GMT, said Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar.

Slovakia is sending another plane today and then tomorrow, with both expected to bring back Slovaks and foreigners.

Israeli jets complete wave of airstrikes on Iranian missile launchers, says IDF

Israeli Air Force fighter jets prepare to take off for strikes in Iran, June 17, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

The Israeli Air Force conducted a wave of airstrikes against Iranian ballistic missile launchers in western Iran, the IDF says.

The military says fighter jets hit dozens of ballistic missile launchers and other facilities.

Additionally, since this morning, the IDF says it struck Iranian air defense systems and radar sites in western Iran.

It publishes footage of some of the strikes.

The Israeli Air Force conducted a wave of airstrikes against Iranian ballistic missile launchers in western Iran, the IDF says.

The military says fighter jets hit dozens of ballistic missile launchers and other facilities.

Additionally since this morning, the IDF says it struck… pic.twitter.com/e23mWVNlF2

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) June 17, 2025

IDF Home Front Command to no longer issue pre-launch alerts to stay near shelters

Residents seeking shelter from Iranian missile attacks in Ramat Gan's Bialik Light Rail Station, June 16, 2025. (Ariela Karmel)

The IDF Home Front Command says it will no longer be sending a pre-launch alert calling on civilians in areas potentially under threat from Iranian ballistic missiles to be prepared to head to bomb shelters.

Those alerts  were issued 15-30 minutes before missiles were launched, following the IDF’s identification of preparations by Iran to launch missiles.

The Home Front Command says it will still aim to provide an early warning around 10 minutes before sirens sound, as missiles are detected being launched from Iran.

Once sirens sound, civilians are instructed to enter bomb shelters and stay there until further notice.

Energy Ministry says no fuel shortages expected in Israel

A Paz gas station in Tel Aviv, November 28, 2024. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

The Energy Ministry clarifies that there is no fuel shortage nor is one expected amid the ongoing exchange of fire with Iran.

In a statement, the ministry says it was prepared in advance for the escalation and that there are fuel stockpiles and no fears of running out.

The ministry notes that this is true despite the shutdown earlier this week of the Bazan oil refinery in Haifa after it was hit by a ballistic missile fired by Iran, which killed three people.

And the ministry adds that it is conducting regular situational assessments and that currently it does not foresee any issues with supplying companies with fuel.

Hostages Forum says Gaza captives ‘disappeared’ from government agenda; FM denies

Families of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip attend a Constitution, Law and Justice Committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on June 9, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

As Israel’s preemptive campaign against Iran continues, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum accuses the government of abandoning the effort to bring their loved ones home, claiming in a statement that the issue has “disappeared” from the government’s agenda.

They describe this as a “blatant and painful disregard” for a critical and time-sensitive issue, and demand immediate action — specifically, the dispatch of a negotiating delegation to Doha to reach a comprehensive deal for the release of all 53 hostages. Without such a move, they say, “there can be no full Israeli victory.”

The statement did not clarify whether it was referring to a literal removal of the issue from the government’s agenda, as it did not indicate if or when the matter had previously been scheduled for discussion or when it may have been dropped. A forum spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for clarification.

In a closed session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee today, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar rejected claims that the hostage issue had been neglected, a source with knowledge confirmed to The Times of Israel.

“The issue of the hostages has not been neglected. There are ongoing contacts, and we want to reach a hostage deal based on the Witkoff framework,” Sa’ar said, adding that “we have given a positive response and are currently waiting for Hamas’s reply.”

UN nuclear watchdog says Iran’s underground Natanz site hit during Israel strikes

This handout satellite image released by Maxar Technologies shows the Natanz nuclear facilities near Ahmadabad, Iran after IDF airstrikes on June 15, 2025. (Handout / Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies / AFP)

There appear to have been “direct impacts” on the underground part of Iran’s Natanz nuclear site during Israel’s initial attacks, the UN’s atomic watchdog says.

“Based on continued analysis of high resolution satellite imagery collected after Friday’s attacks, the IAEA has identified additional elements that indicate direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls at Natanz,” the International Atomic Energy Agency writes on X.

IDF denies ballistic missiles have been fired from Iran

The IDF says that contrary to some reports, no ballistic missiles were launched from Iran at Israel in the last few minutes.

Man arrested for posting Iran flag and salute emoji

Prosecutors are planning to indict a resident of the Arab town of Kafr Kanna who was arrested after posting an Iranian flag with a salute emoji to social media.

Police arrested the man in his home Saturday after receiving a report about his post — a stock photo of an Iranian flag accompanied by a salute emoji and “song of support,” according to police.

The song in question was “Illegal Life” by Turkish rapper Tomsyex.

A social media post appearing to express support for Iran during wartime, uploaded by a user from Kafr Kanna, who was arrested for his post. A prosecutor’s declaration against him was filed in court on June 17, 2025. (Israel Police)

The detainee was questioned by police investigators on suspicion of expressing support for and identifying with terrorist acts.

A prosecutor’s declaration was filed against him today, and his detention was extended by the Nazareth Magistrate’s Court.

State prosecutors are preparing to file charges against him in the coming days, police say.

“The Israel Police will act firmly against anyone who praises or identifies with terrorist organizations and enemy states, or glorifies their actions during wartime — whether online or elsewhere — in order to safeguard public security,” says a police spokesman.

On Monday, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir vowed that police would take a zero tolerance approach to “expressions of joy” over Iranian attacks on Israel.

Netanyahu meets rival Lapid for security briefing

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, meets Opposition Leader Yair Lapid in his office on June 17, 2025. (Avi Ohayon/GPO)

With Israel’s operation against Iran in full swing, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosts Opposition Leader Yair Lapid in his office for a security briefing.

The two political rivals are joined by Netanyahu’s Military Secretary Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman, and chief of staff Tzachi Braverman.

The leader of the opposition is traditionally briefed once a month by the prime minister on sensitive national security issues, although Netanyahu and Lapid have not kept to this regular schedule. They last met a month ago, after a two-month hiatus.

Slain reservist was Shin Bet combat commander, agency says

Friends and family attend the funeral of Israeli soldier Captain res. Tal Movshovitz at the military cemetery in Modi'in June 17, 2025. (Jonathan Shaul/Flash90)

Cpt. (res.) Tal Movshovitz, 28, an IDF reservist who was killed in the Gaza Strip yesterday, was a member of the Shin Bet, the security agency announces.

Movshovitz served as a deputy company commander in the 7086th Combat Engineering Battalion in reserves. He was killed by an explosive device planted in a building in Khan Younis.

The Shin Bet says that outside of his reserve duty, Movshovitz was a combat commander in the agency.

Cpt. Tal Movshovitz. (Israel Defense Forces)

He is the 11th member of the Shin Bet to be killed during the war.

The announcement comes as Movshovitz is buried in Modiin.

Jordanian king tells EU that Israeli attacks on Iran threaten everyone

King Abdullah II condemns Israel’s offensive on Iran in a speech to European Union parliamentarians in Strasbourg, France.

“There is no telling where the boundaries of this battleground will end,” he said. “And that, my friends, is a threat to people everywhere.”

Often interrupted by applause, the king says that “consequences ripple across borders.”

“When our global community fails to bridge the gap between principle and action, when values are not practiced, they become performative, abstract and expendable,” he says. “We are at another defining crossroad in our history, one that demands a choice, power or principle, the rule of law or the rule of force, decline or renewal.”

S&P warns long war with Iran could sink Israel’s credit rating

Workers place concrete walls for protection outside Ziv medical center in Safed, June 17, 2025. (David Cohen/Flash90)

Global credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s warns that a protracted war with Iran and a sharp escalation will put Israel’s credit rating at risk of further downgrades.

“Developments in the Israel-Iran conflict are testing S&P Global Ratings’ previous assumptions by increasing downside risk including due to the prospect of further escalation,” S&P analysts say. “Israel says its stated aim of destroying Iran’s nuclear capability could take at least two weeks, possibly longer… this points to a more protracted campaign than the 2024 retaliatory strikes.”

“The likelihood of a diplomatic solution appears increasingly distant,” S&P analysts assess, adding that “thus far, developments suggest attacks and counter attacks are seeking to avoid drawing in third countries, such as the US or Gulf countries.”

In May, S&P reaffirmed Israel’s A/A-1 credit rating — which it downgraded twice last year — while keeping its outlook negative, meaning that the country could be facing further downgrades. The rating agency says the negative outlook reflects the “risk that the escalation of military conflict could substantially weaken Israel’s economy and fiscal and balance-of-payments positions.”

Meanwhile, Fitch analysts say in a separate report that they assume that the fighting will remain “contained between Israel and Iran, and will not persist for more than a few weeks.”

“Israel has strong defensive countermeasures and it appears that Iranian strikes have not had a material economic impact,” Fitch analysts note. “We believe Iran’s capacity to retaliate against Israel via proxies in Gaza and Lebanon has been damaged by Israel’s military campaigns in those regions.”

“Both factors suggest it is likely that damage from Iran’s military response to Israel’s latest attacks will not be on a scale that would affect Israel’s rating,” according to Fitch.

The rating agency, which last year lowered Israel’s credit rating, in April affirmed the country’s A credit score, but maintained a negative outlook.

Fitch says risk for a downgrade will “depend on the course and outcome of the conflict, including whether the conflict remains restricted between Israel and Iran, or spreads.”

Israel yet to strike Fordo nuclear site, military official says

An Israeli military official speaking on condition of anonymity says the Israeli Air Force has not targeted Iran’s underground Fordo nuclear facility, but says that still might happen.

The official says Israel is taking precautions to avoid triggering a nuclear disaster with its strikes.

The official says Iran has so far launched around 400 ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel, targeting both civilian and military sites.

An overnight fall-off in the number of missiles fired shows that Israel has succeeded in damaging Iran’s ability to launch missiles, the official says.

Katz says ‘significant’ strikes in Tehran coming, claims capital dotted with soon-to-be destroyed nuke sites; Fordo facility will be ‘addressed’

Speaking to reporters at the scene of a ballistic missile impact in central Israel, Defense Minister Israel Katz says the Israeli Air Force will strike “very significant targets, strategic targets, targets of the regime and infrastructure” in Tehran today.

He says the IDF will issue an evacuation warning to those nearby.

Regarding Iran’s nuclear sites, Katz says that the underground Fordo facility is “an issue that will certainly be addressed.”

He says that in Tehran, “there are more than 10 nuclear targets” that Israel is “on the verge of destroying,” thanks to the Israeli Air Force’s aerial superiority in the area.

Israel uninterested in mediation over Iran conflict, Russia says

The Kremlin says Israel is uninterested in mediation efforts over its conflict with Iran, amid a “galloping escalation.”

In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov calls on both sides to exercise “maximum restraint.”

“The situation is continuing to escalate rapidly. The level of unpredictability is absolute,” he says.

Peskov says that Russia’s offer to mediate between the warring sides if necessary stands, but that it sees Israel is not interested in seeking a peaceful solution yet.

Iran conflict crimping Gaza hostage-ceasefire talks, Qatar says

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari says the war between Iran and Israel is delaying efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

Prior to the attack on Iran, there had been positive talks between Israel and Hamas about an agreement in Gaza, he says.

Ansari adds that Qatar is still working toward securing such an agreement. Qatar sees a diplomatic solution as the only viable resolution to the situation in Gaza, he says.

Large blasts said to rock Tehran

Large explosions are being reported in Tehran, according to AFP and state media.

Unverified pictures and videos shared online appear to show large plumes of gray smoke above the city center following the blasts.

🚨 #WATCH: Tehran right now#IranIsraelConflict #Tehran #IRIB #IDF #BreakingNews #Iran#IranUnderAttack#Israele pic.twitter.com/4t88V2ZJYS

— Gaurav (@k_gauravs) June 17, 2025

Tehran right now. 😀 pic.twitter.com/zxD7GMyDoB

— OM Hindi (@OM_Hindi) June 17, 2025

IDF will not end Iran offensive until nuke and missile threats removed, senior general says

Israel’s operation against Iran will not end until the IDF has removed the threat of Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic missiles, the military says, but refuses to provide a timeline.

“We continue to strike nuclear targets to deepen the achievement, according to a plan and at a timing that suits us,” says IDF Operations Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk in a call with reporters.

The IDF says it is in the midst of the operation, not at its end. The goal by the end is to remove the “existential threat” of the Iranian nuclear program and its missile array, it says.

“We are striking the terror regime, not the people, who deserve a better future. Those who endanger us are the leadership in Tehran, not the people walking the streets of Shiraz,” Basiuk says.

The military says it will continue to strike nuclear facilities and related targets, including nuclear scientists, as well as ballistic missiles, air defenses, military command centers, and other targets that are considered “critical” to the Iranian regime.

So far, over 200 ballistic missile launchers have been destroyed or neutralized by Israeli strikes, which is a significant portion of Iran’s arsenal, according to the military.

The strikes on the launchers have disrupted Iran’s attempts to fire more missiles at Israel, but the IDF assesses that Iran still has the capability to launch attacks and cause devastating harm in Israel.

“We will remain prepared on defense. I assess that the Iranians will continue trying to harm Israel,” Basiuk says.

Regarding Iran’s nuclear program, the IDF says it has so far caused significant damage to Tehran’s ability to obtain a bomb, but the efforts are not over yet. The military says it will detail what sort of damage it has done to Iran’s nuclear program when the operation is over.

Basiuk says the IDF “will not allow a nuclear Iran to turn the Middle East into a graveyard.”

Meanwhile, the Israeli Air Force has aerial superiority over western Iran and Tehran, after it struck numerous Iranian air defenses, but the IDF says flying over Iran is still not without risks.

Israel says it bombed secret Iran military command center, scattering brass

An Israeli airstrike in Iran overnight targeted a secret command center used by the Iranian military’s top brass, the IDF reveals.

“We neutralized the Iranian regime’s main military emergency headquarters,” IDF Operations Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk tells reporters.

The strike caused the remaining members of Iran’s military leadership to flee, according to the IDF.

Basiuk says the IDF is “prepared and ready to continue eliminating the heads of terror in Iran, one by one.”

After the attack on the command center, an airstrike killed Maj. Gen. Ali Shadmani, Iran’s most senior military commander, who had entered the role just days earlier, after his predecessor was killed by Israel.

Israel has killed much of Iran’s top military command in its opening strikes on Friday and in the days since.

Iran bans officials from using internet-connected devices

Iran’s cybersecurity authority has banned officials from using devices that connect to the internet, apparently fearing being tracked or hacked by Israel.

According to the state-linked Fars news agency, Iranian officials and their bodyguards have been told they are not allowed to use any equipment that connects to public internet or telecommunications networks.

Report: US thought Iran was years from nuclear bomb, not months

Despite Israel’s claims that Iran had been months away from producing a nuclear weapon before the IDF’s preemptive strikes against Tehran began Friday, United States intelligence assessments found that the Islamic Republic was not actively pursuing the bomb and was several years away from obtaining one, according to a CNN report.

Citing four people familiar with Washington’s assessment, CNN reports that “not only was Iran not actively pursuing a nuclear weapon, it was also up to three years away from being able to produce and deliver one to a target of its choosing.”

The US Central Command, which oversees US military activities in the Middle East, presented a more urgent assessment than civilian intelligence bodies, the report adds, saying before Israel’s surprise assault, Central Command believed Iran could more quickly produce a nuclear bomb if it decided to rush toward one, citing a source familiar with the discussions.

Iran had enough highly enriched uranium for several bombs, according to the UN’s nuclear watchdog, but had not made any moves toward weaponization.

Asked by Fox News on Sunday about differing conclusions on Iran’s nuclear capabilities from the US and Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “The intel we got and we shared with the United States was absolutely clear, was absolutely clear that they were working, in a secret plan, to weaponize the uranium. They were marching very quickly.”

A US official cited in the report said that US intelligence officials believe that, thus far, Israel may have shortened Iran’s timeline for reaching a nuclear weapon only by some months. Experts have said Israel would likely require American military assistance to inflict more lasting damage, most critically on the underground Fordo nuclear facility.

Two Petah Tikva attack victims named

Two of the victims of Monday morning’s Iranian missile strike on Petah Tikva are named as Yaakov and Hadassah Belo, according to their Brazil-based son, Ofir Belo.

Belo announces their death on Facebook, saying he is in “total shock.”

The two were sheltering in their safe room when a missile with a large explosive warhead slammed into their apartment, ripping through the reinforced space. Two others were killed in the same strike.

Beepers, shmeepers: Israel had even better surprises for Iran, envoy to US says

Israel still has “some surprises up our sleeves” in the fight against Iran, ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter says.

“There’s still a lot of things we can do,” Leiter tells Merit TV.

The full extent of Israel’s opening blows against Iran late last week has not yet been uncovered, he says: “We’ve pulled off a number of surprises — when the dust settles — you’re going to see some surprises on [last] Thursday night and Friday, that will make the beeper operation almost seem simple.”

Israel detonated thousands of Hezbollah beepers and walkie-talkies in September, injuring thousands of fighters in a complex intelligence effort that went back years.

Israel revealed some of the Mossad operations employed on the first night of its attack on Iran, including a drone base it built on Iranian soil.

‘We’re progressing ahead of schedule.’ Israel’s Ambassador (@yechielleiter) tells @LyndsayMKeith that the ultimate goal is to ‘demolish all nuclear weapon facilities in Iran.’ On Merit TV. pic.twitter.com/ILvmmRIt72

— Merit Street (@MeritStreet) June 17, 2025

Leiter blames European leaders for making the same mistakes the world made in refusing to confront Adolf Hitler in the 1930s.

“This is the war to end wars,” he says of Israel’s bombing of Iran. “This is the war to engender peace in the Middle East.”

US President Donald Trump is not putting pressure on Israel to stop the fighting, says Leiter.

Israel is open to a negotiated end to the fighting with Iran, but it must include the complete dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program, he says.

Israeli jets launch fresh wave of strikes on western Iran

The Israeli Air Force has begun a new wave of airstrikes in western Iran, a military official says.

The IDF is expected to provide details on the strikes later.

IDF says soldiers may have opened fire on Gazans who mobbed aid truck near troops

Palestinians transport a man who was allegedly injured by Israeli fire while waiting near a food aid center into Khan Younis' Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip on June 17, 2025. (AFP)

The IDF says it is investigating after reports that 20 or more Gazans were shot and killed by Israeli fire while waiting for aid.

“Earlier today, Gazans were identified gathering next to an aid truck that got stuck in Khan Younis, next to Israeli forces operating in the area,” the army says in a statement.

“We are aware of reports of a number of casualties from IDF fire after the mass neared [troops.] The details under being checked,” it adds.

The army says it regrets any injury to the innocent and works to minimize harm to civilians while keeping troops protected.

Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry claimed Israeli tank shellfire killed at least 51 Palestinians as they awaited aid trucks in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.

The World Health Organization said initial reports pointed to at least 20 fatalities.

“This is again the result of another food distribution initiative,” said Thanos Gargavanis, WHO trauma surgeon and emergency officer, without giving further details.

It’s unclear if the incident was linked to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Finance minister promises to compensate missile-battered homeowners

Meeting with residents at the site of an Iranian missile strike in the central Israeli city of Ramat Gan, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich pledges that the government will provide compensation for those whose homes were damaged as a result of the war.

“We will win this war in Israel with brave fighters and, no less importantly, through a strong and steadfast home front like you,” he declares, adding that those whose homes were destroyed will be given hotel accommodation as well as full rehabilitation and an initial grant to help them get organized.

Those with damages totaling less than NIS 10,000 ($2,853) can apply for compensation online using a site set up today, he adds.

Around 4,000 people have been forced to leave their homes due to extensive damage suffered in attacks, according to official figures. Thousands more have experienced minor damage, such as broken windows.

Sa’ar: World largely backing Israel despite Iranian diplomatic offensive

At the opening of a Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar touts Israel’s diplomatic standing during its newly launched war with Iran, saying Israel is receiving widespread backing for its preemptive strikes on Tehran’s nuclear program despite efforts by the Islamic Republic to undermine support.

“In parallel to the military campaign, a political and informational campaign is constantly underway,” Sa’ar says, addressing Hebrew media alongside Committee chair MK Yuli Edelstein ahead of the meeting.

“We are proactive, active, and offensive in the political arena just as we are in the military one. On the diplomatic front, the Iranian side has displayed considerable activism, but so far all of their efforts have been thwarted,” Sa’ar continues, saying that Iran-initiated efforts to weaken support for Israel’s actions, including an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council over the weekend and a convening of the IAEA Board of Governors yesterday, both “concluded with no outcome against Israel.”

“This morning, even as we speak, a Zoom meeting of the European Union foreign ministers is being held, specifically focused on this campaign,” Sa’ar adds, saying he had spoken to multiple counterparts from EU member states ahead of the meeting.

“I estimate that we will continue to see further attempts in these forums, as well as efforts to bring the issue before the UN General Assembly,” he says.

Key European allies, as well as US President Donald Trump, have expressed their desire for de-escalation in the region, but have paired this with an affirmation of Israel’s right to self-defense and an assertion that Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon.

Sa’ar says that “a broad-scale public diplomacy campaign is being carried out, involving several bodies operating in global media and across social networks. We will detail these efforts further.”

“Our international standing with regard to Operation [Rising Lion] is strong,” Sa’ar claims. “There is widespread understanding of the action we have taken, and recognition that the existential threat to Israel also carries implications for the security of the entire region, for Europe’s security, and for the global order.”

“Naturally, there are also dissenting voices in the international arena. But certainly within what we call ‘the Western world,’ despite the usual concerns about escalation and the like, the general approach is a positive one,” he concludes.

Katz warns Khamenei will end up like Saddam Hussein

Former Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein, shortly after his capture in 2003, in a screenshot from a YouTube video uploaded December 17, 2016.

Defense Minister Israel Katz warns Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei “of a fate similar to Saddam Hussein,” during an assessment this morning with the IDF’s top brass, his office says.

“I warn the Iranian dictator against continuing to commit war crimes and launching missiles at Israeli civilians. He would do well to remember the fate of the dictator in the country neighboring Iran who chose this same path against the State of Israel,” Katz says, referring to Hussein, an Iraqi strongman who was overthrown in 2003 during the US invasion of Iraq and later found hiding in a desert hole and hanged.

Katz references an Israeli strike a day earlier on the Tehran headquarters of Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB, saying other extensions of the Iranian civil regime’s rule may also be targeted.

(L-R) Defense Minister Israel Katz meets with Intelligence Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, Operations Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk, and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, June 17, 2025. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)

“We will continue today as well to act against regime and military targets in Tehran, just as we did yesterday against the propaganda and incitement broadcasting authority,” he says.

“I urge the residents of Tehran to evacuate those areas in accordance with the IDF Spokesperson’s instructions in Persian, for their own protection,” Katz adds.

Iranian news site confirms banking issues due to cyberattack after hacking claim

An Iranian man withdraws money from an ATM machine at a Bank Sepah in the capital Tehran on January 19, 2016. (AFP/Atta Kenare)

Iran’s semi-official Fars news reports that customers are experiencing issues with Bank Sepah due to a cyberattack, after a group of hackers linked to Israel claimed to have broken into the institution and interrupted its operations.

The report from Fars says the problems with Sepah may ripple to gas stations that rely on the bank to process transactions.

It says the issue is expected to be resolved in the next few hours.

At the same time, a spokesperson for Iran’s central bank is quoted telling state-run IRNA that all banking operations are running smoothly and providing service to their customers.

IDF razes home of Palestinian gunman who killed boy in bus attack

Israeli security forces and paramedics are seen following a deadly terror shooting attack targeting a bus in the West Bank, early December 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean); inset: Yehoshua Aharon, 10, who was critically hurt in the attack and died following it (Courtesy)

IDF troops demolished the home of a Palestinian terrorist who killed an Israeli boy in a shooting attack in the West Bank last year, the military says.

On December 11, 2024, Ezz Aldin Malluh from the town of Bayt Awa near Hebron opened fire on a bus traveling from the Beitar Ilit settlement to Jerusalem, as it passed a junction by the West Bank town of al-Khader.

Yehoshua Aharon Tuvia Simha, 12, was killed, and several others were wounded in the attack. Malluh turned himself in to Israeli security forces the following day.

The IDF says it operated in Bayt Awa overnight and demolished Malluh’s home.

As a matter of policy, Israel demolishes the homes of Palestinians accused of carrying out deadly terror attacks.

Dismissing ceasefire, Trump says he wants a ‘real end’ to Iran nuclear issue

US President Donald Trump says he doesn’t want a ceasefire in Iran, but is instead seeking a “real end” to the Iranian nuclear issue, he tells reporters on Air Force One as he flies back to Washington overnight after an early exit from the G7 summit in Canada.

“I didn’t say I was looking for a ceasefire,” says Trump, according to CBS News. Trump’s adds a “real end” means “giving up entirely” on nuclear weapons.

He says “I may,” on the prospect of sending US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff or Vice President JD Vance to meet with Iran. “It depends what happens when I get back,” he adds.

He claims Iran is “very close to having” a nuclear weapon, dismissing director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s March testimony that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon.

The president warns Iran not to harm US troops, saying he would “come down so hard if they do anything to our people.”

Trump says that Israel is going to keep up its attacks on Iran.

“You’re going to find out over the next two days,” he says, according to CBS. “You’re going to find out. Nobody’s slowed up so far.”

He says he hopes Iran’s nuclear program “is wiped out long before” any potential US involvement.

Trump says that his call for residents of Tehran to evacuate comes from his desire for people to be safe.

Israel-linked group claims it hacked Iranian bank, destroyed data

A hacking group previously linked to Israel claims to have destroyed data belonging to an Iranian bank under US sanctions.

The group known as “Gonjeshke Darande,” or “predatory sparrow,” says it “conducted cyberattacks which destroyed the data of” Bank Sepah.

“Bank Sepah was an institution that circumvented international sanctions and used the people of Iran’s money to finance the regime’s terrorist proxies, its ballistic missile program and its military nuclear program,” says Gonjeshke Darande in a post on X.

Destruction of the infrastructure of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “Bank Sepah”
We, “Gonjeshke Darande”, conducted cyberattacks which destroyed the data of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ “Bank Sepah”.

“Bank Sepah” was an institution that circumvented… pic.twitter.com/1r4XyDmXcJ

— Gonjeshke Darande (@GonjeshkeDarand) June 17, 2025

“This is what happens to institutions dedicated to maintaining the dictator’s terrorist fantasies. We thank the brave Iranians whose help made this operation possible,” it adds.

Gonjeshke Darande has claimed responsibility for several cyber attacks on Iran in recent years, including against gas stations and a steel factory.

Israel generally maintains a policy of ambiguity regarding its cyber operations against Iran, and does not claim responsibility for them.

Reports on social media indicate that Sepah’s banking services stopped working this morning.

Interrupciones extensas reportadas en los servicios bancarios de *Bank Sepah*, vinculado a las fuerzas armadas de Irán. Problemas de acceso a cuentas, retiros y tarjetas. pic.twitter.com/JCb1Gk0ggh

— 👁️‍🗨️SigWar_OpX📡Δ (@elrick111) June 17, 2025

Drone that triggered sirens shot down

A drone that was launched at Israel, apparently from Iran, was shot down by the Israeli Air Force over northern Israel a short while ago, the military says.

Sirens had sounded in several communities in the Golan Heights and Galilee Panhandle.

IDF says it killed Iranian soldiers who fired at drone

A cell of Iranian soldiers who fired anti-aircraft missiles at an Israeli Air Force drone over Iran was killed in a strike yesterday, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin reveals in a press conference.

Defrin says the drone identified the Iranian soldiers preparing to launch additional missiles, and struck the launcher and killed the soldiers.

The military releases footage of the strike.

תיעוד מלב איראן: כלי טיס של חיל האוויר מזהה טילי נ״מ משוגרים לעברו – ומחסל תוך שניות את חוליית השיגור

כלי טיס של חיל האוויר שפעל בשמי איראן, זיהה אתמול חוליית שיגור שביצעה ירי טילי נ״מ לעברו.
בסגירת מעגל קצרה, כלי הטיס תקף את המשגר וחיסל את את חוליית השיגור שביצעה את הירי pic.twitter.com/hW9YbQHRNM

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) June 17, 2025

Explosions heard near Iran’s Tabriz, home to major air base

Two explosions have been heard in Iran’s northwestern city of Tabriz, local state-affiliated media reports.

“Two explosions occurred in Tabriz five minutes apart,” the Ham Mihan newspaper says. “Thick smoke was seen around Tabriz Tuesday morning after the explosion,” Mehr news agency reported, publishing a video from the city, which lies more than 600 kilometers (375 miles) from Tehran and is home to a major air force base targeted by Israel in recent days.

Meanwhile, Iran claims that it destroyed strategic targets in Israel overnight using drones.

“Various types of destructive drones, equipped with precise destruction and targeting capabilities, destroyed strategic positions of the Zionist regime in Tel Aviv and Haifa,” General Kioumars Heidari, commander of the army’s ground forces, is quoted as saying by state television.

The IDF said it intercepted some 30 drones overnight, likely all sent from Iran, including many shot down before reaching Israel’s borders. There were no reports of successful drone strikes.

Army intel chief says actions in Iran set to expand

Military Intelligence Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder meets with officers at one of the unit's bases, June 17, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

The chief of the Military Intelligence Directorate, Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, tells officers today that they’ll soon “break ground” in other areas of Iran, after the IDF “paved the way to Tehran.”

“You brought the intelligence that paved the way to Tehran and enabled the strike on the Iranian general staff. Soon, you’ll break ground in additional areas. You’ve proven that you can push boundaries and reach any target,” Binder is cited as saying in an IDF statement.

“Always remember that we are not fighting in just one arena. We’re fighting Iran, but our eyes are also on our hostages in Gaza and the various threats facing the soldiers on the frontlines and civilians on the home front,” he adds.

Troops seal off Khan Younis tunnel under hospital where Hamas boss was killed

A Hamas tunnel that ran underneath the European Hospital in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, where the terror group’s leader Muhammed Sinwar was killed in a strike, has been sealed with concrete, the military says.

The IDF says that after scanning the tunnel, and recovering the bodies of Sinwar and other senior Hamas military wing commanders, it pumped 250 cubic meters of concrete into the underground passages, sealing it shut.

The IDF did not blow up the tunnel as it does with many others in Gaza, because that would have damaged the medical center above it.

The military says its actions in the area, including the strike on May 13 that killed Sinwar and the Hamas commanders, were “carried out in a pinpoint and precise manner, while avoiding damage to the hospital building.”

📍Our war against Iranian proxies is on all fronts:

Over the past two weeks, our troops conducted a targeted operation to locate and map out large-scale underground Hamas infrastructure in the area of the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, where the body of Mohammed Sinwar was… pic.twitter.com/GsQkLblB2p

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 17, 2025

A Times of Israel reporter saw broken windows and other minor damage at the hospital during an army-escorted tour earlier this month.

Drone alerts sound in northern Golan, Galilee

Drone alert sirens sound in several communities in the northern Golan Heights, with new alarms going off in towns to the west in the Galilee Panhandle near the border with Lebanon, including communities near Kiryat Shmona.

A rocket alert also sounds in the Druze towns of Majdal Shams and Masa’ada in the northern Golan, moments after the drone siren.

Police say some damage, but no injuries, at 3 impact sites

Damage is seen after an Iranian missile strike in central Israel, June 17, 2025. (Eli Katzoff/Times of Israel)

Police in central Israel say officials are dealing with three impact sites in the area from a missile volley about 90 minutes ago, reporting that while there was some material damage, there have not been any reports of injuries.

He says firefighters are still putting out a number of blazes sparked by the missile impacts, and police are conducting searches to make sure there are no other impact sites or places where shrapnel caused damage.

“Our focus now is on making sure there are no sites or incidents or injuries that we do not yet know about,” Yarkon District head Tzachi Sharabi tells reporters.

Reports indicate that one missile hit a storage shed near Herzliya, setting it on fire, and another hit a parking lot, where an empty bus went up in flames.

Damage from Iranian missile strikes in central Israel on June 17, 2025. (Eli Katzoff.Times of Israel)

The Magen David Adom rescue service said earlier that it was dealing with five people lightly injured in the parking lot.

There are also scattered reports of damage from falling shrapnel.

Early Monday strikes forced some 2,000 from their homes, figures show

Israeli security and rescue forces at the scene where a ballistic missile fired from Iran hit and caused damage in Petah Tikva, June 16, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Some 2,000 people were rendered homeless, at least temporarily, in missile attacks that caused widespread damage across central Israel and Haifa early Monday, according to official figures.

In Petah Tikva, where four people were killed in a missile strike on a residential high-rise, some 400 families, or 1,300 people, were forced to evacuate their homes, the city tells Times of Israel sister site Zman Yisrael.

People look at a damaged building following a strike by an Iranian missile in the Israeli city of Petah Tikva on June 16, 2025. (Jack GUEZ / AFP)

Another 300 people in Tel Aviv lost access to their homes after missiles struck two areas of the city, causing heavy damage, the city says.

Hundreds are more are estimated to have been forced from their homes in Bnei Brak, where a missile hit a school in a residential area, resulting in widespread damage and one death. The city says it moved those affected to hotels, without specifying how many were affected.

Israeli security and rescue forces at the scene where a ballistic missile fired from Iran hit and caused damage in Bnei Brak, June 16, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Haifa City Hall says it evacuated 60 people due to damage to their homes in attacks targeting the city early Monday.

A similar total number of people were forced to leave their homes in Ramat Gan, Bat Yam, Tamra, Rehovot, Tel Aviv and other places as the result of attacks on Saturday and Sunday.

Gazan reports claim dozens killed outside Khan Younis aid site

Media outlets in Gaza report that dozens of people were killed and others wounded east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip while waiting to receive humanitarian aid.

Conflicting reports place the number of fatalities between 20 and 50.

No visual documentation of the incident has emerged so far.

The reports do not specify if the incident occurred near aid distribution being managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. There have been near-daily reports of shootings resulting in the deaths of dozens of Palestinians trying to reach their sites.

There is no comment from the Israel Defense Forces.

Tehran empties out as several reported killed in Israeli attacks

Smoke billows from a site near the Azadi Tower in central Tehran on June 16, 2025. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

Downtown Tehran appears to be emptying out, with many shops closed, including in the city’s ancient Grand Bazaar, something that has only happened in the past during anti-government demonstrations or at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

On the roads out of Tehran to the west, traffic still stands bumper to bumper. Many appear to be heading to the Caspian Sea area. Long lines can also be seen at gas stations in Tehran.

Authorities within Iran’s government continue to insist everything is under control and do not offer any guidance for the public on what to do.

Iranian state-linked news outlets report that three people were killed and four injured in an Israeli attack on a checkpoint near the central city of Kashan, without specifying if they were civilians or military.

State broadcaster IRIB, meanwhile, says three people were killed in an Israeli attack on its Tehran headquarters a day ago.

“Three of the TV station’s employees were killed and others were wounded in the Israeli attack” on Monday, the channel announces.

Around 30 drones shot down overnight, IDF says

Overnight, the Israeli Air Force shot down some 30 drones launched at Israel, all apparently from Iran, the military says.

Many of the drones were intercepted beyond Israel’s borders. Several were shot down over the Golan Heights, according to the military.

The military releases footage of one of the interceptions by an IAF helicopter.

״נפלה, התפוצצה, המטרה הופלה״: במהלך הלילה – חיל האוויר יירט כ-30 כטב״מים ששוגרו לעבר מדינת ישראל pic.twitter.com/E2rr2bouA0

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) June 17, 2025

Israel says it took out new top Iranian military commander, after killing predecessor

A senior Iranian general who was appointed to his role after his predecessor was killed in Israel’s opening strikes on Iran was eliminated in an airstrike yesterday, the military says.

Maj. Gen. Ali Shadmani had headed the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, also known as Iran’s military emergency command, for around four days.

Shadmani had replaced Maj. Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid, who was killed on Friday in Israel’s opening strikes against Iran.

In view of Lt. Gen. Gholamali Rashid’s martyrdom at the hands of the vile Zionist regime, and in light of Major General Ali Shadmani's meritorious services & valuable experience, I confer the rank of Major Gen. & appoint him Commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya (pbuh) Central HQ. pic.twitter.com/4dTDCKx66P

— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) June 13, 2025

The IDF says Shadmani was de facto Iran’s most senior military commander, the “war chief of staff,” and considered the closest remaining military figure to Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

“He commanded both the Revolutionary Guards and the Iranian Armed Forces,” the IDF says.

The military says that under Shadmani’s command, the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters “was responsible for managing combat operations and approving Iran’s attack plans.”

“In his various roles, he had a direct influence on Iran’s offensive plans targeting the State of Israel,” the IDF says.

The IDF says Shadmani previously served as deputy of the Khatam-al Anbiya HQ and as chief of operations in Iran’s armed forces.

Around 20 missiles fired in volley, Israelis cleared to leave shelters

Some 20 ballistic missiles were launched at Israel in Iran’s attack, according to initial IDF assessments.

Home Front Command gives the all clear for people to exit shelters.

The Magen David Adom says five people are lightly injured after a missile hit a parking lot in central Israel.

The strike caused damage and set an empty bus on fire.

Firefighters say they are working to extinguish the blaze.

Fires, smoke seen around Tel Aviv after missile attack

Unverified videos show fires and billowing black smoke in several areas around central Israel following an Iranian missile attack.

https://twitter.com/RiyaSpda/status/1934853397162729888

One video shows a bus on fire in a parking lot. Other footage shows smoke in residential areas near Tel Aviv.

Tel Aviv….🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/3Q0VMahPd8

— Taha (@Taha_Sivas_5858) June 17, 2025

Missile impacts reported in central Israel

Medics are responding to reports of ballistic missile impacts in central Israel.

Magen David Adom says it is heading to the scenes to scan them for possible injuries.

Large explosions echo from afar in Jerusalem amid missile attack

Echoes of large explosions are being heard in the Jerusalem area as missiles target other areas of the country.

No siren was issued for the Jerusalem area.

Sirens sound throughout Israel as Iran fires ballistic missiles

Sirens are sounding across central and northern Israel, as well as some areas of the south, following the launch of ballistic missiles from Iran.

Civilians in areas where sirens are sounding are instructed to enter bomb shelters and remain in them until further notice.

Israel says Iranian missile barrage incoming, orders residents to stay near shelters

The IDF says it has detected a barrage of ballistic missiles launched from Iran at Israel.

Sirens are expected to sound in the coming minutes, as air defenses work to shoot down the threats.

Civilians are instructed to stay near bomb shelters until further notice.

Trump says he did not leave G7 summit to work on Israel-Iran ceasefire

US President Donald Trump denies that the reason he left the G7 summit of economic powers was to work on a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, blaming French President Emmanuel Macron for the misconception.

“Wrong! He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire,” Trump writes in a post on his Truth Social platform.

The president does not say what he is in fact working on, but teases that it’s “much bigger than that.”

“Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong,” Trump writes. “Stay Tuned.”

Fewer missiles overnight appear to come with shorter warnings, no pre-launch alert

Israelis take shelter in a parking garage during a missile alert from Iran, in Tel Aviv, early June 17, 2025. (AP/Baz Ratner)

The Home Front Command gave much shorter early warnings for Iran’s overnight ballistic missile attacks than it had previously, possibly due to the relatively small number of missiles fired.

Iran launched fewer than 10 missiles total in three separate attacks — just after midnight, at 3:30 a.m., and 4:30 a.m. — but in each case, the Home Front Command issued an alert to civilians just 2-3 minutes before the actual sirens sounded.

Normally, the IDF issues an early warning around 10 minutes before sirens sound, as missiles are detected being launched.

Additionally, the Home Front Command did not issue a pre-launch alert calling on civilians in areas potentially under threat to be prepared to head to a bomb shelter in any of the overnight attacks. The Home Front Command has said it seeks to issue this alert 15-30 minutes before an attack is launched.

The shorter early warning and lack of preliminary alert are thought to be tied to the fact that Iran launched far fewer missiles overnight than it had previously, likely making it harder to detect the launch or pre-launch preparations than when barrages comprise dozens of missiles.

Iranian drone shot down over Golan

A drone that was launched at Israel, apparently from Iran, was shot down by the Israeli Air Force over the Golan Heights a short while ago, the military says.

Sirens had sounded in Ramat Magshimim.

The IAF shot down at least a dozen drones over northern Israel yesterday and overnight.

Army says overnight strikes targeted Iranian launchers, silos, drones

Overnight, the Israeli Air Force carried out several waves of strikes in western Iran, destroying anti-aircraft launchers, ballistic missile launchers, and drones, the IDF says.

The military releases footage of the strikes.

תיעוד מתקיפות חיל האוויר הלילה במערב איראן: הושמדו עשרות תשתיות לאחסון ולשיגור טילי קרקע-קרקע ומשגרי טילי קרקע-אוויר של המשטר האיראני

מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר השלימו הלילה מספר גלי תקיפות לעבר עשרות מטרות צבאיות של המשטר האיראני במערב איראן.

במסגרת גלי התקיפות, חיל האוויר תקף… pic.twitter.com/PdpVNXCB0S

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) June 17, 2025

“As part of the waves of strikes, the air force targeted dozens of infrastructure sites used for storing and launching surface-to-surface missiles, UAV storage sites, and surface-to-air missile launchers in western Iran,” the military says.

Drone alert sounds in Golan Heights

A siren is sounding in the Golan Heights community of Ramat Magshimim warning of a suspected drone infiltration.

Residents are advised to seek shelter.

The alert comes a day after three drones set off alarms in the area in quick succession.

Satellite images show extensive damage at Tabriz missile base

SkySat imagery of Tabriz North missile base, captured June 16, 2025. (Planet Labs PBC)

Satellite imagery from Monday published by Planet Labs shows heavy damage to buildings at a missile base north of the Iranian city of Tabriz, where Israel has been carrying out airstrikes.

Pictures show buildings and vehicles destroyed, with evidence of wide swaths of burnt vegetation. In one picture, the remains of three destroyed missile launchers can be seen.

SkySat imagery of Tabriz North missile base, captured June 16, 2025. (Planet Labs PBC)

SkySat imagery of Tabriz North missile base, captured June 16, 2025. (Planet Labs PBC)

The IDF said Monday that it had destroyed about a third of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers.

UK’s Ambrey says maritime incident near Strait of Hormuz not security related

British maritime security firm Ambrey now says the cause of an incident 22 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates, near the Strait of Hormuz, is not security-related.

The event unfolded as tensions escalated between Israel and Iran, with both nations exchanging attacks for a fifth consecutive day following Israel’s widescale strikes on Friday aimed at preventing Tehran from building an atomic weapon.

The Strait of Hormuz, a key transitway for about a fifth of the world’s oil, lies between Oman and Iran and links the Gulf north of it with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond.

There is no immediate response to Reuters’ request for comment from the Emirati foreign ministry or the Khor Fakkan container terminal in the early hours of Tuesday.

Fewer than 10 missiles fired by Iran overnight, IDF says

Fewer than 10 ballistic missiles were launched from Iran at Israel overnight, according to IDF assessments.

The missiles came in three overnight attacks just after midnight, at 3:30 a.m., and 4:30 a.m.

There were no reports of impacts in urban areas or injuries.

The number of missiles marks a significant dip after three consecutive nights in which scores of missiles were fired.

Maritime incident reported near the Strait of Hormuz

British maritime security firm Ambrey says it is aware of an incident 22 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates, near the Strait of Hormuz, as Israel and Iran attack each other for a fifth straight day.

The strait lies between Oman and Iran and links the Gulf north of it with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond.

Approximately one-fifth of the world’s total oil consumption passes through the strait. Between the start of 2022 and last month, roughly 17.8 million to 20.8 million barrels of crude, condensate and fuels flowed through the strait daily, according to data from Vortexa.

There was no immediate response to Reuters’s request for comment from the Emirati foreign ministry or the Khor Fakkan container terminal in the early hours of the morning.

G7 leaders, including Trump, call for ‘de-escalation’ on Iran and ceasefire in Gaza

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, from left, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, US President Donald Trump, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz participate in a session of the G7 Summit, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

G7 leaders attending a summit in Canada issue a joint statement calling for “de-escalation” on Iran, while stressing Israel has the right to defend itself in the escalating Middle East crisis.

“We affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself,” the statement says. “We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”

“We urge that the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza,” the statement adds.

Staff Sgt. Naveh Leshem, 20, killed fighting in southern Gaza, says IDF

Staff Sgt. Naveh Leshem (IDF)

An IDF soldier was killed and 10 others were wounded, including four seriously, during fighting in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday, the military announces.

The slain soldier is named as Staff Sgt. Naveh Leshem, 20, of the Golani Brigade’s 12th Battalion, from the West Bank settlement of Nokdim.

According to an initial IDF probe, Leshem and the other wounded soldiers were in an armored personnel carrier during operations in Khan Younis, when a terror operative placed an explosive device on the outside of the vehicle.

The blast killed Leshem and seriously wounded four other troops, including an officer. It also left three soldiers in moderate condition and another three lightly hurt.

Trump said to push for meeting with Iranian officials this week

US President Donald Trump attends a working session during the Group of Seven (G7) Summit at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada on June 16, 2025. (Ludovic MARIN / POOL / AFP)

US President Donald Trump has reportedly told Vice President JD Vance and his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, to reach out to Iranian officials for a meeting this week amid escalating fighting between Tehran and Jerusalem.

A US official told The New York Times that Trump is encouraging such a meeting and believes that it will be well received by Iran.

According to a report in Axios, such a meeting is likely between Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also heading back to Washington and leaving the G7 Summit early, along with Trump, CBS News reports.

Trump and the White House said earlier that the US president was going to leave early due to the situation in the Middle East.

American officials have denied reports that the US is playing a role in strikes on Iran, and both Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have said that they are still exploring diplomatic paths.

No injuries reported in latest Iranian missile attack, say first responders

The Magen David Adom ambulance service says it has not yet received any calls about impacts or injuries following the latest Iranian missile fire which set off sirens in Haifa and across northern Israel.

The IDF Home Front Command says civilians who entered shelters due to the sirens can now exit them.

Iran has fired several missile barrages toward Israel overnight, although they have each contained just a few missiles, unlike previous nights when Tehran fired dozens of ballistic missiles at a time.

Eight people were killed last night after impacts in Petah Tikva, Haifa and Bnei Brak, and a day earlier, nine people were killed in Bat Yam and four in Tamra.

Air raid sirens sound in Haifa and across northern Israel amid Iran missile attack

Air raid sirens are sounding in Haifa and the surrounding areas in the north, including Caesarea, amid a missile attack from Iran, says the IDF.

The IDF says its air defenses are working to intercept the missiles, and calls on citizens to enter shelters and stay there until further notice.

Hegseth, heading to Situation Room, says Trump still aiming for nuclear deal

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrives for a military parade commemorating the Army's 250th anniversary, that coincides with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, June 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tells Fox News that US President Donald Trump is still aiming for a nuclear deal with Iran even as hostilities have escalated between Israel and Tehran.

“Of course,” Hegseth says on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime” show when asked if Trump is still aiming for a nuclear deal with Iran.

“We are postured defensively in the region to be strong in pursuit of a peace deal. And we certainly hope that’s what happens here,” Hegseth says.

Hegseth says he is heading to the White House Situation Room to meet with Trump and his national security team amid tensions in the Middle East as the US president returns early from the G7 summit.

The US has repositioned both warships and military aircraft in the region to respond if the conflict between Israel and Iran further escalates.

Hegseth doesn’t provide details on what prompted the meeting, but says on Fox News that the movements are to “ensure that our people are safe.”

American officials deny reports US is taking part in strikes on Iran

American officials deny that the US is taking an active part in any military operation in Iran.

Alex Pfeiffer, a spokesman for US President Donald Trump, says such reports are “not true. American forces are maintaining their defensive posture, and that has not changed. We will defend American interests.”

Sean Parnell, the Pentagon spokesman, echoes those comments, writing on X that “American Forces are maintaining their defensive posture & that has not changed. We will protect American troops & our interests.”

Parnell responds to a report that US jets are taking part in strikes by writing: “This is not true.”

Israelis can exit bomb shelters after latest Iranian attack, says IDF

Israelis take shelter in a parking garage during a missile alert from Iran, in Tel Aviv, early June 17, 2025. (AP/Baz Ratner)

The IDF Home Front Command says that citizens across Israel can exit their bomb shelters following the latest round of sirens after an Iranian missile attack.

No impacts or injuries have been reported.

Residents must continue to follow Home Front Command guidelines, the IDF adds.

Trump requests national security council meet him in the Situation Room

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press as he meets Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during the Group of Seven (G7) Summit at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada on June 16, 2025. (Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)

US President Donald Trump has requested that the national security council be prepared in the Situation Room as he returns early from the G7 summit in Canada Monday night, the co-host of Fox News’ “FOX & Friends” program, Lawrence Jones, writes on X.

The White House spokeswoman confirms the report to CNN.

Earlier, the White House said that Trump was leaving the confab a day early to return to Washington “because of what’s going on in the Middle East.”

No initial reports of injuries in latest Iranian rocket attack — Magen David Adom

Israelis take shelter in a parking garage during a missile alert from Iran, in Tel Aviv, early June 17, 2025. (AP /Baz Ratner)

There have so far not been any reports of direct impacts or injuries following the latest Iranian missile attack on central Israel, says the Magen David Adom ambulance service.

MDA says that first responders were called to a number of instances in which people were wounded while running for shelter.

Sirens sound across Tel Aviv and central Israel after missile fire from Iran

Air raid sirens sound across Tel Aviv and central Israel as well as Ashdod and Ashkelon after missile fire from Iran, says the IDF.

The IDF Home Front Command calls on residents of those areas to seek shelter until further notice.

Israel’s air defenses are working to shoot down the threat, the IDF says.

Macron says US has put forward a ceasefire offer between Israel and Iran

French President Emmanuel Macron at the Group of Seven (G7) Summit at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada on June 16, 2025. (Suzanne Plunkett / POOL / AFP)

French President Emmanuel Macron calls for strikes against civilians in Iran and Israel to end, and says the US has put forward a ceasefire proposal.

“If the United States can achieve a ceasefire, that’s a very good thing,” Macron tells reporters at a G7 summit in Canada, just as the White House announced that US President Donald Trump would leave the event early due the escalating crisis in the Middle East.

Macron calls on both Israel and Iran to “end” strikes against civilians and warns that aiming to overthrow Tehran’s clerical state would be a “strategic error.”

“All who have thought that by bombing from the outside you can save a country in spite of itself have always been mistaken,” he says.

Macron tells reporters that there “is indeed an offer to meet and exchange. An offer was made especially to get a ceasefire and to then kickstart broader discussions,” he says. “We have to see now whether the sides will follow.”

Chinese embassy in Israel urges its citizens to leave via land crossings

Illustrative: People arrive on the Jordanian side of the Allenby Bridge crossing between the West Bank and Jordan on July 19, 2022. (Khalil Mazraawi/AFP)

The Chinese embassy in Israel is urging Chinese citizens to return home or leave the country via land border crossings as soon as possible, on grounds that the security situation has deteriorated and Israeli airspace remains closed.

“At present, the Israeli-Iranian conflict continues to escalate, with civilian facilities damaged and civilian casualties increasing, making the security situation even more severe,” the embassy warns in a notice on WeChat.

The notice recommends that Chinese citizens leave via the land crossing toward Jordan.

IDF says it shot down several drones that triggered sirens in Golan Heights

The IDF says that it shot down a number of drones that were fired toward Israel, following sirens that had sounded in the Golan Heights.

The military does not say where the drones originated.

Trump to leave G7 summit early due to ‘what’s going on in the Middle East,’ says White House

US President Donald Trump speaks to journalists as he makes his way to board Marine One before departing from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 15, 2025. (Mandel NGAN / AFP)

US President Donald Trump will leave a Group of Seven summit tonight, a day early, due to the Israel-Iran war, the White House says, after he warned the residents of Tehran to flee.

“Because of what’s going on in the Middle East, President Trump will be leaving tonight after dinner with Heads of State,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt writes on X.

Trump won’t sign G7 statement on Israel-Iran de-escalation, says US official

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney (R) and his wife Diana Fox Carney (L) greet US President Donald Trump during an arrival ceremony at the Group of Seven (G7) Summit at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada on June 16, 2025. (Geoff Robins / AFP)

A US official says US President Donald Trump will not sign a draft statement from Group of Seven leaders calling for de-escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict.

The draft statement, seen by Reuters, also commits to safeguarding market stability, including energy markets, says Iran must never have a nuclear weapon, and that Israel has the right to defend itself.

Canadian and European diplomats say G7 attendees are continuing discussions on the conflict at the summit in Canada, which ends tomorrow.

Drone alert siren sounds in Golan Heights

Sirens warning of an incoming drone attack sound in towns in the southern Golan Heights.

Hostage activists hold online protest amid ongoing Iran attacks

Hundreds gather for a virtual meeting of Shift 101, a protest group for the hostages, on June 16, 2025. (Screenshot)

Three hundred people join a virtual meeting tonight of Mishmeret 101 (Shift 101), the silent, white-wearing protest group that revolves around hostage parents, meeting several times a week in front of government buildings as part of the struggle to bring the hostages home.

The group, which first began gathering in November 2024, isn’t able to meet in person right now, given the IDF Home Front Command restrictions on public gatherings during the ongoing war with Iran.

“We felt we had to bring it from the asphalt to this place,” says Yelli, one of the organizers. “We had to keep our foot on the gas.”

Most of the attendees wear white, and include family members of hostages and released hostages, including Vicky Cohen, mother of hostage Nimrod Cohen; Dvora Idan, whose son, Tsahi Idan, was killed in captivity; Lee Siegel, the brother of released hostage Keith Siegel; Niva Wenkert, whose son, Omer Wenkert, was released from captivity; and Maccabit Meyer, the aunt of hostages Ziv and Gali Berman.

“I feel like I’m climbing the walls at home,” says Meyer, who is a regular at the Shift 101 gatherings and other protests for the hostages. “I feel a sense of desperation without the ability to go out and fight for them.”

Meyer, along with others, says that the worries for their loved ones have only grown during the opening of another war front.

“They can’t crawl to any safe space, or hear what is happening,” says Meyer, mentioning that the family has been told that the twins have not been held captive together after being taken hostage from their homes in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023.

Vicky Cohen, whose son Nimrod was abducted from a burning tank, says “it’s time to end this saga,” adding: “We’re hoping maybe the process with Iran will allow the prime minister to feel secure enough to end the war in Gaza. I will not give up on my son.”

Trump says everyone should ‘immediately evacuate Tehran!’

US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

US President Donald Trump urges everyone to immediately evacuate Tehran, and reiterates that Iran should have signed a nuclear deal with the United States.

“IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!” he writes in a post on Truth Social.

Tehran is home to around 10 million people, with around 17 million in the metropolitan area.