June 18: Netanyahu convenes cabinet as Israel awaits US decision on joining Iran fight

US starts evacuating some diplomats from its embassy in Israel

View of the U.S. Embassy Branch Office in Tel Aviv after a ballistic missile fired from Iran hit and caused damage in Tel Aviv, June 16, 2025. (Yehoshua Yosef/Flash90)

Two US officials say a government plane evacuated a number of diplomats and family members who had asked to leave Israel today, shortly before US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced on X that the embassy was making plans for evacuation flights and ships for private American citizens.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive diplomatic movements.

There was no indication of how many diplomats and family members had left on the flight.

USS Ford to sail for European deployment, giving US a 3rd carrier option if Iran-Israel conflict widens

USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier refuels from the underway replenishment oiler USNS Laramie in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, October 11, 2023. (US Navy photo via AP)

The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford will sail from the East Coast for Europe on a regularly scheduled deployment — but its presence also gives President Trump a third aircraft carrier option as he weighs what sort of military response the US should provide amid escalating strikes between Israel and Iran.

The Ford was previously deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean as a show of strength and to provide options to Israel following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas.

The US Navy already has the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, and is sending the USS Nimitz to sail toward U.S. Central Command from the Indo-Pacific.

IDF says jets hit 20 nuclear and weapons production sites in Tehran

An IAF F-15 takes off to carry out strikes in Iran in an image published on June 18, 2025. (Israel Defense Force)

The Israeli Air Force completed a wave of airstrikes on some 20 Iranian nuclear and weapon production sites in Tehran, the military announces.

Some 60 fighter jets were involved in the strikes, which the IDF says hit “weapons production sites, centrifuge production sites, as well as research and development sites of the Iranian regime’s nuclear weapons development project.”

The nuclear-related sites “were designated to allow the Iranian regime to expand the scale and pace of its uranium enrichment purpose of developing nuclear weapons,” the military says in a statement.

The other targets included “factories producing raw materials and components for missile assembly, as well as sites for the production of Iran’s air defense systems,” the IDF says.

Trump says US is not looking for Iran ‘ceasefire,’ rather ‘total and complete victory’

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 18, 2025. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)

US President Donald Trump says Iran was “a few weeks away” from having a nuclear weapon before Israel began striking the Islamic Republic last week and that he now wants “total victory,” not a ceasefire.

Trump says he doesn’t want to get involved in a foreign war, but has also stated for years that Iran shouldn’t be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.

He says he hasn’t yet made a decision on whether to strike Iran’s nuclear sites, but points out that the US has the best military equipment in the world and that Israel is currently using it to attack Iran.

“I’m not looking to fight, but if it’s a choice between fighting and having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do. Maybe we won’t have to fight,” Trump posits. “Maybe it will end very quickly.”

He reiterates that Iran is willing to come to the White House to negotiate — a claim that Tehran has denied — but acknowledges that “it’s a little late to meet.”

The US is not looking for a “ceasefire,” rather “total and complete victory,” Trump says, echoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rhetoric.

“You know what the victory is? No nuclear weapon,” Trump adds.

The US president denies that his supporters are divided over whether to attack Iran, asserting that what his supporters are for is “me.”

He acknowledges Tucker Carlson has been against US involvement in the war, but says the conservative commentator also doesn’t want Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.

IDF says drone shot down over Golan Heights

Another drone launched from Iran at Israel was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force a short while ago, the military says.

Sirens had sounded in the Golan Heights.

Since the start of the conflict, the IDF says Iran has launched some 1,000 drones at Israel, though fewer than 200 reached Israeli airspace. None have impacted the country, according to the military.

European ministers to hold nuclear talks with Iran on Friday in Geneva

The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain plan to hold nuclear talks with their Iranian counterpart on Friday in Geneva, a German diplomatic source tells Reuters.

The ministers will first meet with the European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, at the German consulate in Geneva before holding a joint meeting with the Iranian foreign minister, the source says.

The plan has been agreed upon with the United States, the source adds.

Police disperse mass Hasidic wedding held in violation of war restrictions

Thousands of ultra-Orthodox celebrants gather outside the Belz Great Synagogue in Jerusalem for a wedding, held despite IDF restrictions of public gatherings amid war with Iran, on June 18, 2025. (Screenshot/Ynet)

Police dispersed a massive Hasidic wedding held this evening in Jerusalem that flouted the IDF’s restrictions on public gatherings amid ongoing war with Iran, Hebrew outlets report.

Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews gathered outside the Belz Hasidic dynasty’s main synagogue in the capital to celebrate the wedding of the granddaughter of Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeach, the sect’s spiritual leader.

The wedding was held despite the Home Front Command’s 30-person limit for public gatherings in most areas of the country, provided they could reach a protected space in time.

The chuppah ceremony, held on the roof of the synagogue, was broadcast to the masses congregated in a walled-off area adjacent to the building.

“Police arrived at the scene with reinforced manpower,” law enforcement said in a statement, as quoted by Ynet. “A dispersal order was issued accordingly, and the participants left the premises.”

Trump says its possible Iranian regime could fall, meeting advisors on conflict soon

US President Fonald Trump speaks to the press in the Oval Office of the White House as members of Italian soccer club Juventus pay a visit in Washington, DC, on June 18, 2025.(Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)

US President Donald Trump says it’s possible that the Iranian regime could fall.

“Sure, anything could happen, right?” Trump says in response to the question from a reporter in the Oval Office.

Asked if the US is planning for such a scenario, the US president claims “we have a plan for everything,” adding that he will be meeting with his advisers in the Situation Room in an hour.

Trump reiterates that Iran should have accepted a US proposal for a nuclear deal before the 60-day deadline he had set.

Asked what led him to go from backing negotiations with Iran to potentially approving a US strike on Tehran’s nuclear sites, Trump points to the results of Israel’s opening strike on the Islamic Republic last Thursday-Friday.

“The first night was devastating, and it really knocked the one side off,” Trump says.

IDF reservist seriously injured in Gaza

An IDF reservist was seriously wounded earlier today in the southern Gaza Strip, the military announces.

The soldier served with the 646th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade’s 8105th Battalion.

The circumstances of his injury are not immediately published by the IDF.

Iran says it fired an ultra-heavy, two-stage Sejjil missile at Israel; IDF intercepts it; minor damage

A missile is fired from Iran toward Israel on June 18, 2025, on the sixth day of fighting between the two foes. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say they fired a Sejjil ultra-heavy, long-range, two-stage missile at Israel this evening.

While Iran appeared to try to posit this as an escalation in its responses, the Sejjil does not have significantly different capabilities from the hundreds of missiles Iran has already fired at Israel.

The missile was intercepted by the IDF, with fragments causing minor damage to a vehicle.

Iran blames Israel for hacking state tv broadcast with calls for uprising

Iranian media said Wednesday that Israel briefly hacked the state television broadcast, airing footage of women’s protests and urging people to take to the streets.

On its Telegram channel, the Hamshahri daily newspaper shares a video of the brief disruption with a text saying “hackers infiltrated state television and broadcast a call asking people to take to the streets.”

Iran’s state television later warns viewers that this was “due to cyberattacks carried out by the Zionist enemy that is disrupting the satellite transmission.”

Iran summons Swiss envoy in Tehran, who represents US interests, over Trump remarks

Iran’s foreign ministry summons the Swiss ambassador, who represents US interests in the Islamic Republic, over recent remarks by US President Donald Trump.

“Following the irresponsible and threatening statements of the American president, the Swiss ambassador, as the guardian of this country’s interests in Tehran, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” state TV reports, without elaborating.

Netanyahu convenes cabinet as Israel awaits US decision on joining Iran fight

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convenes his cabinet on June 18, 2025.(Haim Zach/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu begins his cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, along with ministers, aides, and security chiefs.

The meeting comes as Israel awaits US President Donald Trump’s decision on whether he will join the attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Iran summons German envoy over remarks supporting Israel

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

Iran’s foreign ministry summons Germany’s ambassador to Tehran over remarks by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz supporting Israel’s attacks on the Islamic Republic.

“Following the shameful statements made by the German Chancellor in support of Tel Aviv’s aggression against our country, the country’s [Germany’s] ambassador was summoned to the foreign ministry,” state TV reports.

Macron urges Israel to end strikes on targets not related to nuclear, ballistic programs, pushing for EU peace initiative

France's President Emmanuel Macron stands to attention near the 'Flamme du souvenir" (flame of memory) as he attends a ceremony marking the 85th anniversary of late French General Charles de Gaulle's World War II resistance call of June 18, 1940, at the Mont-Valerien memorial in Suresnes, outside Paris, on June 18, 2025. (Photo by Alain JOCARD / POOL / AFP)

French President Emmanuel Macron calls on Israel to “urgently end [strikes] which are increasingly targeting targets unrelated to Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program,” the French Presidency says in a statement.

He is pushing along with European partners a proposal for a negotiated solution to the fighting between Israel and Iran, according to the Elysee.

At the end of a national security council meeting, Macron tells Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot to “prepare an initiative in this regard in the coming days, with close European partners, to propose a demanding negotiated settlement likely to end the conflict.”

Officials believe if US joins fight against Iran, it could end in a week

If US President Donald Trump decides to join Israel’s operation against Iran, “it would be behind us in a week,” a senior Israeli official tells Channel 13. “The duration would be significantly shortened.”

The goal of the war, says the official, is not to fight “an existential war against Iran.”

“The main goal is to harm the nuclear [program], and if we cause unrest among the Iranian public – great.”

Israeli strike hits near police headquarters in Tehran: Iranian state media

Smoke rises above buildings in Tehran following an Israeli strike on June 18, 2025, on the sixth day of fighting between Iran and Israel. (AFP)

An Israeli strike hits near police headquarters in the Iranian capital of Tehran, wounding a number of policemen, state media reports.

“Some buildings around the headquarters of the National Police were attacked, and a number of our colleagues were injured,” the official IRNA news agency reports, citing a police statement.

Iran TV broadcasts apparently hacked with calls on public to rise up

Several television broadcasts in Iran are apparently hacked with pictures and calls on the public to rise up and take to the streets in protest against the government.

The opposition-linked Iran International quotes officials as saying it only affected those receiving the broadcasts via satellite, suggesting interference with the satellite signal.

Hackers reportedly breached Iranian TV, airing a call for people to take to the streets. pic.twitter.com/njp7SIv0Et

— Clash Report (@clashreport) June 18, 2025

Egypt pushing to host hostage talks, but Israel holding off for now

Protesters call for the release of Israelis held hostage in Gaza, at Dizengoff Square in Tel Aviv, June 18, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Egypt is seeking to host delegations from Israel and Hamas in Sharm el-Sheikh to advance long-stalled negotiations on a hostage release and ceasefire deal in Gaza, an Arab diplomat and a second source familiar with the matter tell The Times of Israel.

Egypt has proposed hosting the meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, as it wouldn’t require Israeli officials to fly there, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

But the two sources say Israel is holding off on sending a delegation in order to wait and see how the war with Iran develops, hoping that a further weakened Tehran will lead to a softening of the positions of its Hamas proxy.

The Arab diplomat cautioned against the approach, asserting that Hamas hasn’t budged from its demand for an end to the war, despite repeated predictions from Israeli officials that various shifts in regional dynamics would lead the terror group to capitulate.

The two sources say that the US has yet to join Egypt in urging Israel to send a delegation to Sharm el-Sheikh, accepting Jerusalem’s desire to see how the conflict with Iran plays out in the coming days.

Egypt is hoping to use Sharm el-Sheikh as a platform for proximity talks on remaining disagreements in negotiations, including the flow of humanitarian aid, the redeployment of Israeli troops and the transition from a temporary ceasefire to a permanent one, the source familiar with the matter says.

Medics say man whose vehicle hit by missile shrapnel does not need medical treatment

An Israeli motorist whose car was hit by intercepted missile debris in central Israel did not require medical attention or hospitalization, Magen David Adom updates.

‘Not if, but when’: Israeli officials reportedly expecting US to join Iran war

A US Air Force B2 Spirit stealth bomber performs a flyover at the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama, October 25, 2015. (Mark Almond/AP)

Israeli officials are under the impression that the United States will join Israel’s offensive against Iran, Hebrew media reports.

“We would be very surprised if the Americans don’t join the offensive. We assess that it’s not a question of if — but of when,” Channel 12 quotes two senior Israeli sources as saying this evening.

According to the officials, US President Donald Trump “wants to build on the achievements made so far, and his instincts tell him this is an opportunity to join the attack from a clearly advantageous position.”

“We assess that it’s hard to see him pulling back at this stage. Mentally, he’s in attack mode — not isolationism. Something truly exceptional would have to happen for him not to join,” they say.

In another report, the Kan public broadcaster cites an Israeli official as saying that Washington is expected to join the campaign and help Israel attack the underground nuclear facility in Fordo, an operation Israel may not be able to handle alone.

“The situation is critical — American involvement could shorten the duration of the war,” the official says in the report.

Netanyahu thanks Trump for ‘standing by our side’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks in a video message on June 18, 2025. (Screenshot/GPO)

As Israel waits for US President Donald Trump to announce whether the US will join Israel’s strikes against Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanks Trump for “standing by our side.”

“We are in continuous communication, including last night—we had a very warm conversation,” says Netanyahu in his daily video statement.

Netanyahu acknowledges that Israel is suffering “many losses, painful losses.”

“But we see that the home front is strong, the people are steadfast, and Israel is stronger than ever,” he says.

He notes that “intense fighting continues in the Gaza Strip.”

“We will continue until we bring everyone home and until Hamas is fully defeated,” Netanyahu says.

IDF publishes video of aerial tankers refueling fighter jets amid Iran strikes

An IAF Boeing 707 refueling plane flies alongside F-35 fighter jets over the Middle East, in a handout photo issued on June 18, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

The military publishes footage showing the Israeli Air Force’s 120th Squadron’s aerial refueling of fighter jets during strikes in Iran.

An IAF Boeing 707 refueling plane flies alongside fighter jets over the Middle East, in a handout photo issued on June 18, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

According to the IDF, more than 600 separate aerial refuelings were carried out over the skies of the Middle East, allowing dozens of IAF fighter jets to operate in Iran, located over 1,500 kilometers from Israel.

An IAF Boeing 707 refueling plane refuels a fighter jet over the Middle East, in a handout video issued on June 18, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

Minister says Bazan oil refinery likely to return to partial operation in a month after hit by Iran missile; no fuel shortages expected

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)

Energy Minister Eli Cohen tells a media briefing that he expects Israel’s main oil refinery to return to partial operation within a month, after it was hit by Iranian ballistic missiles and forced to close earlier this week.

Three workers were killed in one of the blasts.

Cohen says Israel is not expecting any fuel shortages, adding that before the country’s second refinery in southern Ashdod was closed for routine maintenance, it stored enough to continue supplying the local economy.

He says there has been no need yet to dip into the country’s emergency fuel reserves.

Noting the closure of two out of three gas production platforms since the start of Israel’s war with Iran, Cohen says that power stations can also work on coal and diesel and that during peak hours, 30 percent to 40 percent of electricity is being produced from renewable sources, primarily the sun.

Air Force conducts new wave of strikes in western Iran

An IAF F-15 takes off to carry out strikes in Iran in an image published on June 18, 2025. (Israel Defense Force)

The Israeli Air Force is conducting a new wave of airstrikes in western Iran, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin says in a press conference.

“Air force aircraft are flying over surface-to-surface missile launch and storage sites. The aircraft are striking operatives who are attempting to return and take munitions from the sites that were previously targeted,” Defrin says.

“Our message to them is clear: If you try to restore the terror capabilities in the area, you will be targeted,” he says.

Israeli Air Force hits Iranian anti-tank missile production site

The Israeli Air Force bombed an Iranian anti-tank missile production site near Tehran that was used by Iran to supply Hezbollah, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin announces in a press conference

He says hundreds of anti-tank missiles manufactured by Iran were transferred to Hezbollah in Lebanon in recent years.

Hezbollah launched hundreds of anti-tank missiles at Israel during the war, killing and wounding numerous soldiers and civilians.

Hailing ‘miracles,’ Deri confirms he was told about Iran strike ahead of time amid coalition crisis

Shas party chief Aryeh Deri at the scene of suspected arson at a Jerusalem synagogue on June 8, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Writing in HaDerech, Shas’s official newspaper, party chairman Aryeh Deri appears to confirm media reports that he was informed of last Friday’s surprise Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear program ahead of time.

“This was the most difficult decision that any cabinet in the State of Israel has ever made. Long months of discussions, hundreds of hours of security reviews, analyses and risk assessments – everything boiled down to one charged, fateful moment: whether to approve the military attack plan against Iran,” he writes — adding that while he cannot go into detail, “what you are seeing is only the tip of the iceberg.”

Stating that he prayed for divine guidance, Deri adds that after the attack began, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told him that “divine providence is the largest party in the coalition.”

“Then work to ensure that this party stays with you in the coalition the whole time – and don’t drive it away,” Deri says he responded.

Stating that Israelis are benefiting from “miracles and wonders on a scale that we have not been blessed with for many years,” Deri asserts that this divine protection was brought about by “the tremendous scope of Torah study that exists in this generation.”

“We are living in the generation of the Messiah – literally,” he said.

Deri’s op-ed appears to confirm reporting that he was aware of the pending attack even as he was threatening to bring down Netanyahu’s government as part of an ongoing struggle to exempt yeshiva students from military service.

Over the weekend, Channel 12 journalist Amit Segal reported that Deri and Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Yuli Edelstein were informed of the strikes against Iran ahead of time.

“The heads of the ultra-Orthodox parties, with the exception of Deri, knew nothing about the attack while they threatened to dissolve the government,” Segal tweeted, adding that Edelstein “also knew about what was brewing, and this helped bring about a compromise, knowing what was going to happen within a day.”

Asked by The Times of Israel, a spokesman for Edelstein confirmed the report.

Latest Iranian attack consisted of just one missile that was intercepted

Iran’s latest attack on Israel consisted of just one ballistic missile, according to a military official.

The missile was successfully intercepted by air defenses.

Footage posted to social media shows the launch from Iran.

Iranian ???????? sources claim Iran launched a new type of missile at Israel ???????? pic.twitter.com/5CuKrPDaZv

— Aleph א (@no_itsmyturn) June 18, 2025

Rocket fired from Gaza falls near Nirim; no injuries

A rocket launched from the Gaza Strip fell in an open area near the border community of Nirim a short while ago, the IDF says.

No injuries were caused. Sirens had sounded in Nirim.

Medics say one person lightly wounded as a fragment of Iranian missile hits car

A car in which a person was lightly injured by a fragment of an Iranian missile on June 18, 2025 (Magen David Adom)

A man is wounded after a fragment from an intercepted Iranian ballistic missile struck a car on a highway in central Israel, Magen David Adom reports.

MDA says the man is fully conscious.

IDF soldier Staff Sgt. Stav Halfon killed in fighting in southern Gaza

Staff Sgt. Stav Halfon, killed in Khan Younis, June 18, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces).

An IDF soldier was killed during fighting in the southern Gaza Strip earlier today, the military announces.

The slain soldier is named as Staff Sgt. Stav Halfon, 20, of the 603rd Combat Engineering Battalion, from Petah Tikva.

Halfon was killed by sniper fire in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, according to an initial IDF probe.

Iran says its imposing internet restrictions to prevent ‘enemy’ threats

Iran imposes temporary restrictions on internet access, the communications ministry says in a statement relayed by Iranian media, as the country continues its conflict with Israel.

The statement says the move was to prevent “the enemy from threatening citizens’ lives and property.”

‘Not so sure’: UN nuclear watchdog chief says can’t verify the safety or whereabouts of Iran’s near-weapons-grade uranium stockpile

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency at the IAEA's Board of Governors meeting at the agency's headquarters in Vienna, Austria on June 16, 2025. (Photo by Joe Klamar / AFP)

As Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites continue, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, says in an interview with Bloomberg that the UN nuclear watchdog cannot currently verify or guarantee the safety or even the whereabouts of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile.

Asked whether Iran’s supply of 60% enriched uranium remains safely located at the underground Isfahan facility, which Israel has repeatedly struck since it began its campaign on Friday, Grossi replies: “To say safely, I’m not so sure.”

Some 400 kg of uranium, enough for 10 nuclear warheads, was previously stored under an IAEA seal in Isfahan. “In principle, it is stored there,” he says.

“At a time of war, all nuclear sites are closed,” Grossi continues, saying “all our inspectors who are still in Iran… are not inspecting, no normal activity can take place.”

Grossi adds that “No country in the world is enriching uranium at this level of 60% – which is technically almost equivalent of 90%, which is needed to have a nuclear weapon…Many high officials have said Iran has all the pieces of the puzzle. There has been a lot of ambiguity, and this is never good.”

Before Israel’s pre-emptive strike on the Islamic Republic, IAEA inspectors visited Iranian nuclear sites more than once a day. However, Grossi says Iran did not inform the IAEA of any “special measures” it planned to take to protect its uranium stockpile from being damaged in an attack.

“We haven’t been informed of anything in detail,” he says. “We don’t know what these protective additional measures to be.”

The IAEA is relying on satellite imagery and has seen no sign the uranium has been moved—which would be a violation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, according to the Bloomberg report.

“It’s important to return to the diplomatic table as soon as possible because what’s at stake is very serious,” Grossi tells the news network.

Medics say no immediate reports of impacts in urban areas; IDF says small number of missiles fired

There are no immediate reports of impacts in urban areas or injuries in Iran’s ballistic missile attack, Magen David Adom says.

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

The IDF issued an early warning around 10 minutes before sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and surrounding cities in central Israel.

Missile warning sirens sounding across central Israel

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

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

???? Rocket Alert [19:39:26] – 78 Alerts ????:

• Shfela (Lowlands) — Zeitan, Beit Dagan, Tzafria, Achiezer, Rishon LeZion – West, Ganot, Palmachin Industrial Park, Zrifin Industrial Zone, Kfar Chabad, Mishmar HaShiva, Rishon LeZion – East, Yagel, Hemed, Fast Lane Parking Lot
• Dan… pic.twitter.com/nMeBfh0Ray

— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) June 18, 2025

Iran in ‘near-total internet blackout’: UK-based watchdog

Iran was today in a “near-total national internet blackout” as tensions deepened between Tehran and Israel, a London-based online watchdog says.

“Live network data show Iran is now in the midst of a near-total national internet blackout; the incident follows a series of earlier partial disruptions and comes amid escalating military tensions with Israel after days of back-and-forth missile strikes,” NetBlocks writes on X.

⚠️ Confirmed: Live network data show #Iran is now in the midst of a near-total national internet blackout; the incident follows a series of earlier partial disruptions and comes amid escalating military tensions with Israel after days of back-and-forth missile strikes ???? pic.twitter.com/Iu598aIMRJ

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) June 18, 2025

IDF detects new launch of ballistic missiles from Iran, sirens expected

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-backed Houthis say attacks on Israel won’t stop until Gaza war ends

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

A top leader of the Houthi rebels in Yemen, one of Iran’s allies, says they will keep up their support for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip until Israeli “aggression stops, and the siege is lifted.”

“Our operations in support of Gaza will not cease, no matter the sacrifices,” says Houthi-backed president Mahdi al-Mashat in a statement..

The Houthis are the last group in Iran’s self-described “Axis of Resistance” that is capable of regularly attacking Israel.

They’ve been firing long-range missiles at Israel in the months since it resumed the war in Gaza, setting off air raid sirens but generally causing few casualties. They’ve also been attacking shipping in Mideast waters.

Iranian media denies ‘rumors’ Israel struck home of supreme leader

A handout picture provided by the Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's office shows him addressing the nation on the first anniversary of the death of Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi, May 20, 2025. (KHAMENEI.IR / AFP)

An Iranian semiofficial news agency denies “rumors” that an Israeli airstrike targeted the home of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

It’s the first time media in Iran has explicitly acknowledged the Islamic Republic’s paramount leader could be a target.

The report came from the Fars news agency, believed to be close to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

Fars describes the rumors as showing “the US and the Zionist regime’s anger and confusion in the face of the supreme leader’s firm statements made today.”

Trump scoffs at Putin’s offer to help mediate Israel-Iran conflict: ‘Do me a favor, mediate your own’

US President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 7, 2017. (AP/Evan Vucci, File)

US President Donald Trump appears to scoff at Vladimir Putin’s offer to mediate in the Israel-Iran conflict, saying the Russian president should end his own war in Ukraine first.

“He actually offered to help mediate, I said, ‘Do me a favor, mediate your own. Let’s mediate Russia first, okay?'” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I said ‘Vladimir, let’s mediate Russia first, you can worry about this later.'”

US military ‘prepared to execute’ any Trump decisions on war and peace, Hegseth says

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth greets Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine as they arrive to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on June 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images/AFP)

The US military is “prepared to execute” any decision US President Donald Trump might make on matters of war and peace, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says, even as he declines to confirm preparations of strike options on Iran.

“If and when those decisions are made, the Department [of Defense] is prepared to execute them,” Hegseth tells the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Schumer seeks briefing for all senators on Iran-Israel situation

US Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer says that he has asked the Trump administration to provide all 100 senators a classified briefing on the situation unfolding between Israel and Iran.

“We’ve gotten briefings and I have requested that we get an all-senators classified briefing,” Schumer says, adding that he believes it will be granted.

US embassy working on evacuation plan for citizens who want to leave Israel

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee says his embassy is “working on evacuation flights and cruise ship departures” for American citizens looking to leave Israel amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Huckabee tweets a link for interested Americans to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) so that they can receive updates.

Urgent notice! American citizens wanting to leave Israel- US Embassy in Israel @usembassyjlm is working on evacuation flights & cruise ship departures.
You must enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) (https://t.co/rXymPRTQJJ) You will be alerted w/ updates.

— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) June 18, 2025

Three Iranian aircraft, including presidential plane, seen heading to Oman

Flight tracking sites show three Iranian aircraft, including the presidential plane, headed to Oman.

There is no official comment, but analysts estimate the flights most likely are Iranian negotiators headed for ceasefire talks.

Oman had brokered recent talks between the US and Iran on its nuclear program until they were interrupted by the Israeli strikes.

שלושה מטוסים ממשלתיים של איראן המריאו בשעה האחרונה מדרום המדינה ונחתו במסקט בירת עומאן. אחד מהם הוא המטוס הנשיאותי, אשר שימש עד לאחרונה את הנשיא מסעוד פזשכיאן. מטרת הטיסה לא ברורה: האם הגיעו לשיחות תיווך בעומאן, או שמא מולטו מן המדינה ועליהם נוסעים. pic.twitter.com/GRGYEfnnmB

— avi scharf (@avischarf) June 18, 2025

Zamir says IDF learned lessons from Oct. 7: ‘We are preventing threats’

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir meets officers in southern Israel, June 18, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir held an assessment at the Southern Command today, the military says.

“There is significant and direct learning here from the events of October 7, we are not waiting, we are preventing threats,” Zamir is quoted as saying in a statement.

IDF says it destroyed three more Iranian military helicopters

The Israeli Air Force bombed another three Iranian AH-1 helicopters at a military base in Kermanshah a short while ago, the IDF says.

“These helicopters are intended to target air force aircraft operating in Iranian airspace,” the military says.

Earlier, the IDF said it destroyed five more Iranian choppers at a base in Kermanshah.

The Israeli Air Force bombed another three Iranian AH-1 helicopters at a military base in Kermanshah a short while ago, the IDF says.

"These helicopters are intended to target air force aircraft operating in Iranian airspace," the military says.

Earlier, the IDF says it… pic.twitter.com/SLE7WCjo0z

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) June 18, 2025

Sa’ar slams ‘oppressive and imperialist’ Erdogan for defending Iran, comparing PM to Hitler

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives, with his wife, at the beginning of a summit where the leaders of 47 European countries and organizations are to discuss security, defense and democratic standards, in Tirana, Albania, on May 16, 2025. (Leon Neal/Pool via AP)

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemns an “inflammatory” speech by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today, in which the long-time critic of Israel asserted Iran’s right to defend itself from Israel’s military campaign and compared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler.

“The sultan, in his own eyes, in yet another inflammatory and lashing speech, continues to incite against Israel and against the Prime Minister of Israel,” writes Sa’ar on X.

“Erdogan, who holds the record for suppressing freedoms and the rights of his citizens, as well as oppressing the opposition in his country, dares to preach to others,” Sa’ar continues, calling it “especially ironic that someone who does not conceal his imperialist ambitions — who invaded northern Syria and unlawfully holds northern Cyprus — presumes to speak in the name of morality and international law.”

Turkey has sent troops into parts of northern Syria since 2016, saying it needs to fight Kurdish militants near its border, though many see this as an illegal occupation of Syrian land. In 1974, Ankara invaded northern Cyprus after a coup backed by Greece, and later established the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus — a state recognized only by Turkey that remains under Turkish control despite international disapproval.

We don’t ‘grovel’: Iran denies asking to come to White House for negotiations, calls Trump a ‘has-been warmonger’

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)

Iran’s Mission to the UN denies US President Donald Trump’s claim that Tehran has proposed coming to the White House for negotiations to end the ongoing conflict with Israel.

“No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House. The only thing more despicable than his lies is his cowardly threat to ‘take out’ Iran’s Supreme Leader” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranian mission says.

“Iran does NOT negotiate under duress, shall NOT accept peace under duress, and certainly NOT with a has-been warmonger clinging to relevance,” it adds.

“Iran shall respond to any threat with a counter-threat, and to any action with reciprocal measures,” the Iranian mission tweets.

‘We’re not looking for long-term war’: Trump dismisses his supporters’ opposition to becoming involved in Iran

US President Donald Trump speaks as a flag pole is installed on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

US President Donald Trump is asked about mounting concern from some parts of his base of supporters that the US is being dragged into a drawn-out war with Iran.

“We’re not looking for long-term war,” Trump responds, apparently not ruling out a short-term war.

“I only want one thing: Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon,” he says.

President Trump confirms the U.S. is NOT seeking a forever war:

"We're not looking for long-term war. I only want one thing — Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. That's it."pic.twitter.com/qQdDrMErCk

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) June 18, 2025

Trump says he told Netanyahu to ‘keep going’

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press as workers install a large flag pole on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC on June 18, 2025. (Brendan Smialowskyi/AFP)

Asked what he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their phone call yesterday, US President Donald Trump responds, “Keep going.”

Trump tells reporters outside the White House that Netanyahu “is a good man” who has been “doing a good job” but has “been very unfairly treated by his country.”

“He’s a wartime president. Going through this nonsense — ridiculous,” he adds.

‘Nobody knows what I’m going to do’: Trump won’t say if he plans to strike Iran, says Tehran wants to negotiate

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 18, 2025. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)

US President Donald Trump declines to say whether he will order a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities after making comments yesterday that indicated that he was leaning in that direction.

“I may do it. I may not do it. Nobody knows what I’m going to do,” Trump tells reporters outside the White House.

He laments that Iran should have agreed to a nuclear deal before his 60-day deadline that expired last week.

Trump marvels at the Israeli strike that was carried out once that deadline expired. “That was one hell of a hit… Not sustainable, to be honest. That’s where it ended. It ended on the first night,” he says, without elaborating.

He describes Iran as totally defenseless, with no air defense whatsoever, adding that he has since given Tehran the “ultimate ultimatum.”

The president claims that Iran is now interested in negotiating and has even suggested coming to the White House in order to do so.

But Trump indicates he may no longer be interested. “It’s very late for talking,” he says, reiterating that what he now wants is Iran’s “unconditional surrender.” He raises his hands to indicate surrender, and says: ‘That means, ‘I’ve had it. I give up. No more’.”

“Then we go blow up all the nuclear stuff [in Iran],” he says.

Starmer calls emergency meeting as UK braces for possible US strike on Iran

(L-R) Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pose for a photo during the Group of Seven (G7) Summit at the Kananaskis Country Golf Course in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada on June 16, 2025. (Photo by Geoff Robins / AFP)

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet with cabinet ministers for an emergency discussion amid mounting anticipation over whether the United States will decide to strike Iran, The Guardian reports.

Starmer will convene the United Kingdom’s national emergencies committee, known as COBRA, to “bring together ministers and senior officials to update the UK’s response to the rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East,” says the report.

British deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, who stood in for Starmer at prime minister’s questions while the latter was away at a G7 summit in Canada, tells British MPs that “we agree with President Trump that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon, but we’ve been consistent in urging Iran to engage in the diplomatic process and work with the United States, and we continue to support that diplomatic approach,” the report reads.

Exiled opposition says only Iranians can bring about regime change

A photo of Maryam Rajavi, leader of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, is displayed during a protest against the current leaders of Iran outside of the United Nations on September 24, 2024 in New York City. (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images/AFP)

The head of an Iranian opposition group outlawed by Tehran says that it was for the Iranian people to overthrow her country’s Islamic regime, as Israel conducts an unprecedented air campaign.

“The solution to this war and crisis lies in the overthrow of this regime and regime change by the Iranian people and their resistance,” Maryam Rajavi, president of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), tells  a press conference at the European Parliament.

The NCRI is the political wing of the People’s Mujahedin of Iran, which Tehran regards as a “terrorist” group.

Rajavi, who lives in exile, warns against negotiating with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying the regime “will never relinquish its uranium enrichment program.”

But she adds that “an alternative cannot be imposed from above, as was done a century ago when Britain installed a monarch by appointment. Nor can it be forced upon the people like the 1953 coup d’etat by the United States.”

IDF says about 20 out of 400 Iranian missiles struck in urban areas; casualties far below prewar estimates

The scene of an apartment building destroyed by an Iranian ballistic missile impact, in Bat Yam, June 15, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Iran has launched over 400 ballistic missiles and some 1,000 drones at Israel since the start of the conflict on Friday, according to fresh data from the IDF.

Of the ballistic missiles, just over 20 impacted urban areas in Israel, causing casualties and extensive damage. Twenty-four people have been killed in Israel and more than 500 wounded.

The casualty figures are far below what the IDF anticipated when it planned the operation against Iran, according to military officials.

Of the 1,000 drones, fewer than 200 reached Israel’s borders and entered Israeli airspace. However, not one of the drones impacted Israel. All were either intercepted by the Israeli Air Force and Navy, or fell short before reaching Israel.

IDF shoots down drone over Golan Heights

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

Sirens had sounded in several communities in the Golan.

Katz says latest Tehran strike destroyed Iran internal security HQ

Defense Minister Israel Katz says Israeli Air Force fighter jets just “destroyed the headquarters of the Iranian regime’s internal security, the main arm of the Iranian dictator’s oppression.”

“As we promised, we will continue to target symbols of [Iran’s] rule and strike the Ayatollah regime wherever it may be,” he adds.

The strike on Rashid Yasemi Street took out the Faraj (Tehran Police) Headquarters. pic.twitter.com/2vU51wHrO4

— ???????????????? ???????????????? ♛ ✡︎ (@NiohBerg) June 18, 2025

Poll shows most Americans disapprove of US joining Iran war; half see Tehran as ‘enemy’ and another 25% as ‘unfriendly’

Shiite Muslims stand on depictions of the US and Israeli flags during a rally to condemn Israeli strikes on Iran in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

As speculation mounts over whether Washington will join Israel’s operation against Iran, Americans express disapproval of how US President Donald Trump is handling issues related to the warring countries, according to a June 13-16 poll by the Economist/YouGov.

Asked whether they “approve” or “disapprove” of Trump’s handling of Israel and Iran, 37% said they approved the handling of both, while 44% disapproved of his handling of Israel and 41% disapproved of his handling of Iran. Trump’s net approval rating on Iran stands at –4, and on Israel, –7.

The poll found that 50% of Americans consider Iran an enemy to the US, 25% say it is unfriendly, and 5% say it is an ally or friendly.

Still, most prefer diplomacy over force. A majority (56%) believe the US should engage in negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, including 58% of Democrats and 61% of Republicans. This represents a sharp decline in opposition compared to 2015, when 32% of Americans — most notably 52% of Republicans — opposed nuclear talks during the Obama administration, notes YouGov.

Across party lines, just 16% of Americans say the US should intervene militarily, while a solid 60% oppose it.

The poll found that 36% of Americans consider Israel an ally of the US, while nearly half say it is “friendly” or are unsure. Ten percent consider Israel unfriendly, and 6% call it an enemy.

In Persian message, IDF says worried Iranians should contact the Mossad

The IDF, in an unusual Persian-language statement, tells Iranians worried about the situation in the country that they should consider contacting the Mossad.

“Dear citizens of Iran. We understand your difficult situation under the harsh conditions created by the regime. In recent days, we have received many messages from people who are worried about the current uncertain future. Even those who identify themselves as members of the regime’s security institutions have expressed to us their fear, despair, and anger over what is happening in Iran, and have asked us to contact Israeli authorities, so that Iran does not suffer the same fate as Lebanon and Gaza,” the statement says.

“At this point, it is necessary to clarify that we are not the appropriate authority for such requests. But the least we can do is refer you through this link to the Mossad website,” the IDF adds, including the spy agency’s contact page.

شهروندان عزیز ایران,
ما وضعیت سخت شما را در سایه شرایط دشواری که رژیم برایتان ایجاد کرده، درک می‌کنیم. در روزهای اخیر پیام‌های زیادی از سوی عزیزانی دریافت میداریم که از آینده نامعلوم کنونی نگران اند. حتی کسانی که خود را از اعضای نهادهای امنیتی رژیم معرفی می‌کنند، احساس ترس،… pic.twitter.com/XQMitfk46v

— ارتش دفاعی اسرائیل | IDF Farsi (@IDFFarsi) June 18, 2025

IDF confirms it’s attacking military sites in Tehran

The Israeli Air Force is conducting a wave of strikes on Iranian military sites in Tehran, the IDF announces.

Extensive #Israeli attacks on Lavizan area in #Tehran. pic.twitter.com/7blhflKI5Q

— Barzan Sadiq (@BarzanSadiq) June 18, 2025

Reports of fresh Israeli strikes in Tehran, with smoke seen in east of Iranian capital

There are reports of fresh Israeli strikes in the east of Tehran.

Multiple explosions were heard in the Iranian capital, with smoke seen rising in the east.

BREAKING
Blasts inside the #Lavizan area eastern #Tehran. pic.twitter.com/ch9n8JMOQV

— Barzan Sadiq (@BarzanSadiq) June 18, 2025

UK ‘temporarily withdraws’ embassy staffers’ families from Israel

The British embassy in Tel Aviv on September 9, 2022. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

The family members of British diplomatic staff in Israel have been “temporarily withdrawn” as Iran and Israel continue to exchange fire, Britain’s foreign ministry says.

Relatives of staff working at the UK embassy in Tel Aviv and consulate in Jerusalem were “temporarily withdrawn as a precautionary measure,” the Foreign Office says, adding that staff at the mission remain.

PM to convene security cabinet at 10 p.m. as Israel awaits Trump’s decision on Iran

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

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene his security cabinet at 10 p.m. tonight in Jerusalem, the offices of one of the ministers tells The Times of Israel.

The meeting comes as Israel awaits a decision from US President Donald Trump on whether the US will join the operation against Iran’s nuclear program.

Gazan media reports 11 killed, over 70 injured by Israeli fire near aid site; no comment from IDF

Media outlets in Gaza report that 11 people were killed and more than 70 injured by Israeli fire while waiting for aid distribution in the area of the Netzarim Corridor in the central Strip.

It is unclear whether the incident was in or near a distribution center operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, although such a center is located in the area.

No footage from the scene has been released so far.

The IDF has not commented on the incident.

The distribution sites of the Israel- and US-backed GHF have seen near-daily deadly incidents nearby.

Germany tells Iran: ‘It is never too late to come to the negotiating table,’ says Israel’s strike is ‘comprehensible’

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul gives a press conference with his Jordanian counterpart (not in picture) at the Foreign Office in Berlin on June 18, 2025. (John MACDOUGALL / AFP)

Germany’s foreign minister appeals to Iran’s leaders to make credible assurances that it is not seeking a nuclear weapon and to show it is willing to find a negotiated solution, amid a potential further military escalation between Iran and Israel.

“We are still ready to negotiate a solution. However, Iran must act urgently… it is never too late to come to the negotiating table if one comes with sincere intentions,” Johann Wadephul says at a news conference with his Jordanian counterpart.

Wadephul says Israel’s fear that Iran would develop nuclear weapons is justified and it has a right to self-defense.

“The Israeli decision to do something against this threat is comprehensible,” he says, adding civilian deaths on both sides were regrettable after air attacks between Iran and Israel.

Home Front Command says small gatherings to be permitted, workplaces with shelters can open; schools stay closed

As part of the Home Front Command’s changes to its civil defense policy, small gatherings will soon be permitted and workplaces will be able to operate provided an adequate shelter can be reached in time.

Schools will remain closed nationwide until further notice.

The changes, which take effect at 6 p.m. this evening, come following a fresh assessment held by the IDF Home Front Command and Defense Minister Israel Katz.

The activity scale in most areas of the country has been adjusted from “essential activity” to “limited activity,” the Home Front Command says.

This means gatherings of up to 30 people are permitted, provided a shelter can be reached in time.

In the northern frontier communities, Golan Heights, Beit She’an Valley, Jordan Valley, Dead Sea, Arava, Eilat, and Gaza border communities, the scale has been adjusted from “essential activity” to “partial activity,” the Home Front Command says.

This means gatherings in those areas are permitted up to 50 people outdoors and 100 people indoors, provided a shelter can be reached in time.

Nationwide, workplaces will also be able to operate under the same conditions, but schools remain closed.

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

Home Front Command guidelines issued on June 18, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

Israel says 85 humanitarian aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip yesterday

Yesterday, 85 humanitarian aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announces.

Israel resumed aid deliveries to Gaza on May 19, after a pause since March 2. Since then, 1,710 trucks have entered the Strip.

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

International humanitarian organizations say the amount of aid entering the Strip is insufficient.

Knesset panel okays mechanism to increase government funding for local religious councils

The Knesset Finance Committee approves a mechanism to allow the central government to pay a greater share of the budgets of religious councils in areas where the local authorities have difficulty in providing funding.

While opposition lawmakers object to discussing the matter, stating that it is inappropriate to deal with the issue during the ongoing war with Iran, a representative of the Religious Services Ministry says it is necessary now because if the mechanism is not approved within a specified timeframe, the participation rate of all authorities in the budget of the religious councils will automatically be 60 percent, which smaller councils may have trouble affording.

UTJ MK Yitzhak Pindrus, who chairs the meeting, apologizes for not consulting in advance with the opposition, staying that committee chairman Moshe Gafni (UTJ) has reservations regarding the issue.

Religious councils provide state religious services, such as kosher supervision and mikvahs, to communities at the city and regional council levels. They are funded by both local authorities and the national government.

Kurdish journalist says Kurds in northern Iraq largely back Israel’s op against Iran’s regime

Kurds in northern Iraq largely back Israel’s bombing of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile sites, a Kurdish journalist based in Erbil tells The Times of Israel.

“Among many Kurds, there’s a sense of quiet approval, some would even say jubilation, about Israel targeting Iran,” says the journalist. “You see this mostly on social media, where people are openly expressing satisfaction. This sentiment is rooted in deep resentment toward the Iranian regime and its role in suppressing Kurdish aspirations both inside Iran and in Iraq through its proxies. So when Iran gets hit, many Kurds see it as a blow to one of their main oppressors.”

Kurds are even discussing the possibility of vacationing in Iran soon.

Kurdish leaders in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have been silent, however.

“It’s a sensitive topic, of course,” explains the journalist. “Speaking up too strongly could provoke Tehran, while staying silent keeps the door open for quiet diplomacy and self-preservation. Most of them are likely watching the developments closely but choosing to stay out of it publicly. There are unconfirmed rumors that many of the Kurdish leaders have left the capital city of Erbil to undisclosed locations, because they fear Iran would hit them in their retaliation strikes.”

Many Kurds, especially younger ones, are hoping Israel’s strikes lead to a chain reaction that ends with regime change in Iran, according to the Kurdish journalist: “They believe a weakened or collapsed Iranian regime would shift the balance of power inside Iraq too, reducing the grip of the Iran-backed Shia militias and potentially improving the Kurdistan Region’s standing with Baghdad. There’s a long-held frustration about how the Iraqi government has treated the KRG [Kurdistan Regional Government], and most Kurds see Iranian influence as the main driver of that marginalization.”

Iran seems worried by the possibility that that Iranian Kurdish opposition groups might take advantage of the fighting to infiltrate from Iraqi Kurdistan back into Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressed to Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Monday the importance of preventing “any exploitation by ill-wishers of both countries to destabilize border areas,” according to the Kurdish readout.

El Al says it will fly 8 repatriation flights Thursday; planes already full

El Al repatriation flight lands at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, June 18, 2025 (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)

El Al says it plans to operate a total of eight repatriation flights to bring back Israelis from Cyprus, Budapest, Athens, Milan, Rome, and London’s Luton airport tomorrow.

“We would like to emphasize that the passengers on these flights have already been assigned and will receive notification in the coming hours, and that these flights are already full,” El Al says in a statement.

This morning, the first repatriation flights landed in Israel from nearby Cyprus, beginning the mission to bring Israelis home. Israeli airspace was closed for arrivals and departures after the Israel Defense Forces launched a surprise attack on Iran early Friday.

“All El Al crews and the company’s aircraft fleet are awaiting instructions from the relevant authorities in order to continue operating more flights as soon as possible,” El Al says.

More than 70,000 Israelis stranded abroad registered on the El Al website for repatriation flights. Based on the registration, El Al is mapping destinations from which to operate the flights to bring citizens back.

The flights will be operated gradually, subject to government approval, El Al says. Seat assignment is carried out according to the date of the original canceled flight and exceptional medical humanitarian cases.

Man arrested on suspicion of looting jewelry, drugs from apartment building hit by Iranian missile

Jewelry and drugs said looted from a Bat Yam apartment damaged in an Iranian missile strike, June 2025 (Israel Police)

Police arrested a man on suspicion of looting luxury items from a Bat Yam apartment building damaged in an Iranian missile strike early Sunday morning.

Law enforcement says the suspect, a 26-year-old fencing contractor from the Bedouin town of Kuseife, was spotted Monday by a municipal inspector in the city as he exited one of the abandoned buildings.

The inspector reported him to Bat Yam police officers who were stationed at the scene of the missile strike, in which nine people were killed the day before.

During a search of the suspect, police found cash, jewelry, perfumes, a smart watch and cannabis, all of which he allegedly stole from the abandoned apartments.

The suspect was brought before a judge in the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court yesterday, who extended his remand until Thursday.

“The Israel Police takes very seriously any attempt to loot property belonging to the public evacuated from their homes following damage during the fighting [with Iran], and will prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law,” says a police spokesman.

Khamenei: Any US strikes will have ‘serious irreparable consequences’

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responds to US President Donald Trump’s call for the country to surrender, warning that any US strikes will have “serious irreparable consequences.”

“This nation will never surrender to imposition from anyone,” Khamenei says in a speech read on state television. “America should know that any military intervention will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage.”

Report: US moving refueling tankers and C17s to Scotland and Italy

Overnight, the United States moved air force refueling tankers and C17s to European bases in Prestwick, Scotland, and Aviano in Italy, according to Aurora Intel, a group that reviews open source information in real time in the Middle East.

This comes as the US is shifting military aircraft and warships into and around the Middle East to protect Israel from Iranian attacks as President Donald Trump warns Tehran to step back from the conflict. Trump is said to be mulling joining Israel in striking Iran’s nuclear sites.

Yesterday, the US relocated a dozen F-16s from the Italian base to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, said the group.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

MKs vote 5-0 to approve 1st reading of a bill extending IDF, Shin Bet’s authority to hack into civilian security cameras

Lawmakers vote 5-0 to approve the first reading of a bill extending the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet’s authority to covertly break into civilian security camera systems by another six months. There are 120 MKs in the Knesset.

Following October 7, the Knesset approved a temporary measure to permit the IDF and the Shin Bet to hack into security camera back-end technology in order to prevent or thwart access by nefarious actors.

The temporary emergency measure permits the IDF and the Shin Bet to access the cameras only if the visual material endangers national security or IDF operations connected to the ongoing war.

In its explanatory notes, the legislation says that Israel’s security agencies believe an additional extension is necessary “in light of the continuation of the fighting.”

The bill will now go to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for discussion.

FM to envoys at site of deadly Iranian strike: ‘No negotiations taking place, we will achieve our goals’

The scene of an apartment building destroyed by an Iranian ballistic missile impact, in Bat Yam, June 15, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar briefs more than 30 foreign ambassadors at the site of the Iranian ballistic missile attack in the central city of Bat Yam, informing them that Israel’s operation against Iran will continue “until we reach our objectives.”

According to a readout from Sa’ar’s office, ambassadors from Italy, Poland, India, Canada, the Czech Republic, Spain, Austria, Norway, Sweden, and other countries attend the briefing at the site of the attack, where nine civilians, including three children, were killed early Sunday.

Iran is “making a mistake” by trying to thwart Israel’s attacks by “deliberately target[ing] population centers and murder[ing] civilians,” Sa’ar tells the ambassadors. “They do not understand that the Israeli people are strong and massively support Operation Rising Lion.”

“I want you to know: No negotiations are taking place, and the operation will continue until we will achieve our objectives,” the foreign minister says.

Haifa mayor calls on government ‘not to be stingy’ with funds for citizens whose homes are hit by missiles

Haifa mayor Yona Yahav seen at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem as he arrives for a court hearing about the closure of the ammonia tank in Haifa, April 4, 2017. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav calls on the government to “not be stingy” in providing funding for citizens affected by Iranian missile strikes, adding that “only 50 percent of residences [in his city] are protected.”

Addressing lawmakers in the Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee, Yahav says that the government should “not be stingy with money and not repair unstable houses but to demolish them and build according to new standards.”

Yahav’s remarks came during an urgent discussion between local leaders, lawmakers and government representatives regarding support for affected citizens, including alternative housing and welfare and economic support for families.

IDF says air force hit 40 military targets in western Iran this morning, including missiles aimed at Israel

This morning, the Israeli Air Force carried out a wave of strikes on some 40 Iranian military targets in western Iran, the IDF says.

Some 25 fighter jets were involved in the operation, and the targets included missiles aimed at Israel, missile storage facilities, and Iranian soldiers, according to the military.

The IDF says that overnight, it also bombed an Iranian Emad ballistic missile launcher that was primed for an attack on Israel.

It releases footage showing the strike on the Emad launcher, as well as on Iranian soldiers at a ballistic missile launch site.

תיעוד: חיל האוויר תוקף משגר טילים מסוג ״עימאד״ מוכן לשיגור לעבר מדינת ישראל

כ-25 מטוסי קרב תקפו הבוקר יותר מ-40 מטרות צבאיות של צבא איראן במערב איראן

מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר השלימו הבוקר גל תקיפות לעבר מטרות צבאיות במערב איראן, בהכוונת אגף המודיעין. כ-25 מטוסי קרב תקפו יותר… pic.twitter.com/1FniXWkggm

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) June 18, 2025

Russian deputy FM warns US joining Iran strikes could destabilize Mideast, says Moscow in contact with both Israel and Iran

Screen capture from video of Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov during an interview with NBC News, December 10, 2024. (NBC News. Used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warns that direct US military assistance to Israel amid strikes on Iran could radically destabilize the situation in the Middle East.

Ryabkov is quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying that Russia cautions the US against supplying such assistance to Israel — or even considering it.

He says Moscow is in contact with both Israel and Iran.

Erdogan says Iran has ‘legitimate right to defend itself against Israel’s thuggery,’ compares Netanyahu to Hitler

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Iran has the “legitimate” right to defend itself in the face of Israel’s ongoing bombing campaign against military and nuclear targets, now in its sixth day.

“It is a very natural, legitimate and legal right for Iran to defend itself against Israel’s thuggery and state terrorism,” the Turkish leader says, a day after he referred to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “the biggest threat to the security of the region.”

He also says Netanyahu had surpassed Adolf Hitler in committing crimes of “genocide” in Gaza. It is not the first time Erdogan has compared Netanyahu to the Nazi leader.

IDF says it bombed 5 Iranian AH-1 helicopters at Kermanshah airbase

The Israeli Air Force bombed five Iranian AH-1 helicopters at an airbase in Kermanshah this morning, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin says in a press conference.

“Their mission was to try and harm our aircraft,” Defrin says.

The IDF releases footage showing the strikes.

The Israeli Air Force bombed five Iranian AH-1 helicopters at an airbase in Kermanshah this morning, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin says in a press conference.

"Their mission was to try and harm our aircraft," Defrin says.

The IDF releases footage showing the strikes. pic.twitter.com/96ATknr0RT

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) June 18, 2025

Televised message from Iran’s Khamenei to be aired shortly, state media reports

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)

A televised message by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be aired shortly, Iranian state media reports.

Khamenei’s last appearance was on Friday, shortly after Israel began strikes on nuclear and military targets in Iran.

IAEA confirms Israel hit two centrifuge production sites in Iran overnight

Israel hit two centrifuge production sites in Iran, the International Atomic Energy Agency confirms.

The IAEA identifies the facilities as the TESA complex in Karaj and the Tehran Research Center.

“At the Tehran site, one building was hit where advanced centrifuge rotors were manufactured and tested,” says the IAEA on X. “At Karaj, two buildings were destroyed where different centrifuge components were manufactured.”

Both sites had been under IAEA monitoring as part of the 2015 JCPOA agreement.

The TESA complex, near the capital Tehran, hosted a workshop to build components for centrifuges, the machines used to enrich uranium. In 2021, Iran said cameras at the site were damaged during what it called an Israeli “sabotage” operation.

Herzog visits relatives of 4 killed in Iranian ballistic missile strike on Tamra

President Isaac Herzog (L) meets bereaved husband and father Raja Khatib in Tamra on June 18, 2025 (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

President Isaac Herzog visits the northern Arab city of Tamra this morning to pay condolences to the family of three Muslim women and a girl killed in an Iranian missile barrage over the weekend.

The president says he came “to offer comfort and embrace the bereaved families…to console the people of Tamra and, through them, the entire Arab and Israeli society as one,” in a post on his X account.

Manar Khatib and her two daughters, Hala, 20, and Shada, 13, were killed in the attack, alongside another relative, also named Manar Khatib.

Herzog condemns reactions by some Israelis who celebrated the attack on the Arab city, saying he rejects “all the vile and racist videos filmed that evening” by citizens who make up only “a tiny minority” of Israeli society, according to a readout from Herzog’s office.

“I receive responses from citizens all across the country — we all believe in a shared life in this land. We are all children of God, and together we will overcome,” he says. “We will also see the day after — the day when Jews and Arabs live in peace, and Israel and all its surroundings — including Palestinians, Israelis, and the peoples of the region — live in peace.”

Herzog notes that “Iran and its terror proxies do not distinguish between Jews and Arabs” in their attacks on Israel, and says the operation against Tehran “is a war of the free world against terror. A struggle of light against darkness. For a safer, better future in Israel and across our region.”

He also addresses the remaining 53 hostages in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive, saying, “Every day, we will continue to do everything in our power” to bring them home.

Lapid calls on Trump to join Israel’s military operation against Iran

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid in front of a bus hit by an Iranian ballistic missile, June 18, 2025 (Screen grab from video distributed by Lapid)

Standing at the site of an Iranian missile strike in the central Israeli city of Herzliya, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid calls on US President Donald Trump to join Israel’s military campaign against Iran.

“I trust President Trump to do the right thing for the United States. Still, both in talks with international officials and in the international media, I keep repeating that the United States needs to join this campaign,” he says, standing in front of a burned-out bus destroyed in one of yesterday’s barrages.

Opposition scraps Knesset debate that would require PM’s presence ‘in light of security situation’

(L-R) Democrats chair Yair Golan, National Unity chair Benny Gantz, Yesh Atid chair Yair Lapid, and Yisrael Beytenu party Avigdor Liberman hold a joint press conference at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, November 6, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

In a joint statement, the leaders of the Knesset opposition factions announce that “in light of the sensitive security situation” they are removing a 40-signatures debate scheduled for next week from the agenda.

A so-called 40-signatures debate is a Knesset discussion that the opposition can call once a month and that the prime minister is legally obliged to attend. It is usually called to discuss criticism of the government, its policies and legislative agenda.

Prominent opposition politicians have rallied around Israel’s Iran campaign despite their outspoken criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies on a range of other issues.

Speaking with The Associated Press on Monday, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said that now is “not the right moment to do politics.”

“Yes, this government needs to be toppled, but not in the midst of an existential fight,” he said.

National Unity chairman Benny Gantz, who leads another large centrist party in the opposition, likewise told UK-based Iran International on Monday that “the decision to preemptively act against Iran was justified and necessary, and on that matter the Israeli opposition stands fully united with the coalition.”

“The people of Israel stand completely united in achieving our objectives, and any disagreements we may have will have to wait for other times,” he said.

IDF says it struck over 75 targets in Gaza Strip in the past day

The Israeli Air Force carried out strikes on over 75 targets in the Gaza Strip in the past day, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin says.

“In the Gaza Strip, we are fighting according to a structured plan with four divisions,” he says.

IDF says some 30 ballistic missiles fired by Iran at Israel overnight

A man takes a cell phone photo as missiles fired from Iran toward Israel fly over Syrian territory in Damascus, Syria, June 18, 2025. (AP/Ghaith Alsayed)

Iran launched some 30 ballistic missiles at Israel in two barrages overnight, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin says.

He says most of the projectiles were intercepted, and there were no injuries.

IDF says over 1,100 Iranian targets hit since Friday: ‘Operating systematically to neutralize the nuclear threat’

Portraits of Iranian military generals and nuclear scientists, killed in Israel's June 13 attack are displayed above a road, as a plume of heavy smoke and fire rise from an oil refinery in southern Tehran, after it was hit in an overnight Israeli strike, on June 15, 2025. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

The Israeli Air Force has hit over 1,100 Iranian assets in hundreds of strikes in Iran since Friday, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin says in a press conference.

“We are operating systematically to neutralize the nuclear threat,” he says, adding that the strikes are “deepening the significant damage” caused to Iran’s ballistic missiles and air defenses.

The military releases footage showing strikes on Iranian missile launchers and other facilities across Iran.

The Israeli Air Force has hit over 1,100 Iranian assets in hundreds of strikes in Iran since Friday, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin says in a press conference.

"We are operating systematically to neutralize the nuclear threat," he says, adding that the strikes are… pic.twitter.com/ZmhZ48a3un

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) June 18, 2025

Hadash MK Youssef Atauna submits resignation letter under rotation agreement

MK Youssef Atauna attends a session at the Knesset in Jerusalem on February 26, 2025 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Hadash MK Youssef Atauna submits a resignation letter to Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana.

Atauna will be replaced as a lawmaker for the predominantly Arab Hadash-Ta’al alliance by Ta’al’s Samir Abu Said as part of a rotation mandated by an agreement between the two factions.

Iran says will respond ‘strongly’ to US if it joins Israeli strikes

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)

Iran conveyed to Washington that it will respond “strongly” to the United States if it becomes directly involved in Israel’s military campaign, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva says.

Ali Bahreini tells reporters that he sees the US as “complicit in what Israel is doing.”

“We will give the same response to the United Staes that we give to Israel,” he says. “I am confident that [Iran’s military] will react strongly, proportionally and appropriately. We are closely following the level of involvement in the US… We will react whenever it is needed,” he said.

The US has so far only taken indirect actions in the current conflict between Israel and Iran, including helping to shoot down missiles fired toward Israel.

It is deploying more fighter aircraft to the Middle East and extending the deployment of other warplanes, three US officials tell Reuters, as US President Donald Trump is said to be weighing taking a direct role in Israel’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear and military facilities.

Trump called on Tuesday for Iran’s “unconditional surrender.”

Bahreini calls the US president’s remarks “completely unwarranted and very hostile. We cannot ignore them. We are vigilant about what Trump is saying. We will put it in our calculations and assessments.”

Bahreini says Iran will also respond strongly to Israeli strikes.

“We will not show any reluctance in defending our people, security and land – we will respond seriously and strongly, without restraint,” Bahreini says.

IDF says troops pushing Gaza offensive, strikes targeting Hamas infrastructure

Amid the operation in Iran, the military says, it is continuing its ground offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

In northern Gaza, the IDF’s 162nd Division is pushing into Jabalia. In one incident last night, the military says troops spotted three terror operatives approaching the forces and called in an airstrike. A building used by Hamas was also targeted in the area.

The 252nd Division, operating in the Strip’s center, killed two “suspects who posed a threat” and directed a strike on Hamas tunnel infrastructure, the military says.

In southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, the 36th Division is operating to capture and clear the area of Hamas infrastructure.

The IDF says that in one incident in Khan Younis, troops spotted what appeared to be humanitarian aid in a building, but after further investigation it was suspected to be a booby trap. The soldiers threw two explosive devices into the building, causing the bomb planted by Hamas there to explode and collapse the building.

NYC’s Mamdani says ‘Globalize the intifada’ and ‘From the river to the sea’ show ‘desire for Palestinian rights’

Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani talks to people after the New York City Democratic mayoral primary debate at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in the Gerald W. Lynch Theater on June 12, 2025, in New York City. (Vincent Alban/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

New York State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, a leading progressive in the city’s mayoral primary race, dodges the opportunity to condemn the phrases “globalize the intifada” and “from the river to the sea,” saying they are an expression of a desire for Palestinian rights.

In an interview with the Bulwark podcast, Mamdani says that he is “less comfortable with the idea of banning the use of certain words.”

He is then asked specifically about the phrases “Globalize the intifada” and “From the river to the sea.”

“I know people for whom those things mean very different things,” Mamdani says. “To me, what I hear from so many, is a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.”

“What’s difficult also is the very word has been used by the Holocaust Museum when translating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising into Arabic, because it’s a word that means ‘struggle,'” he says, apparently referring to the Washington institution.

“And as a Muslim man who grew up post 9/11 I am all too aware of how Arabic words can be twisted, can be distorted, can be used to justify any kind of meaning,” he says. “And I think that’s where it leaves me with a sense that what we need to do is focus on keeping Jewish New Yorkers safe.”

Mamdani’s comments were first reported by Jewish Insider.

The phrase “From the river to the sea” has been used by Palestinian nationalist movements for decades, as well as by terror groups. Pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel activists say it is a call for liberation, while Israel and many Jewish groups view it as a call to wipe out the State of Israel.

“Intifada,” Arabic for “uprising,” is often associated with the Second Intifada, a period of terror attacks in Israel in the early 2000s marked by deadly suicide bombings.

Mamdani, on The Bulwark podcast, says ‘Globalize the Intifada’ chant signifies, to him, a call for Palestinian human rights.

Adds: “The word has been used by the Holocaust Museum when translating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising into Arabic — because it’s a word that means struggle.” pic.twitter.com/k2yeiSJpMy

— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) June 17, 2025

IDF confirms drone shot down over Iran overnight, says no fear of information leaking

The Israeli military confirms that one of its drones was shot down over Iran overnight.

“During operational activity, a surface-to-air missile was launched at an air force unmanned aerial vehicle,” the IDF says.

The military confirms the drone crashed in Iran, but adds that “there is no fear of information leaking.”

The IAF has been operating over Iran, at a distance of more than 1,500 kilometers, since Friday.

The military has said it has air supremacy over western Iran and Tehran, and is working to achieve this over other parts of the country as well, to thwart Iranian ballistic missile attacks on Israel.

More than 70 Iranian air defense batteries have been destroyed in strikes so far, according to the IDF.

“Achieving air superiority involves initiative and offensive actions, which come with costs that were accounted for in the plan. We are constantly engaged in the struggle to maintain air superiority,” the military says.

The IDF says the incident over Isfahan is being investigated further.

Russian ambassador says families of embassy employees evacuated from Israel

The families of Russian diplomats have left Israel, Russia’s ambassador to Tel Aviv Anatoly Viktorov says, as Israel and Iran traded fire for a sixth day.

“Almost all the wives and children of embassy employees” left on Tuesday via Egypt “to return to their homeland,” Viktorov says, interviewed by pro-Kremlin presenter Vladimir Solovyev.

He also does not rule out the possibility that the Russian embassy could be moved “to a more secure location without leaving Israel.”

Iran arrests five alleged Mossad agents, accusing them of ‘tarnishing’ country’s image online

Iranian news agencies report five suspected agents of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency were detained on charges of tarnishing the country’s image online.

“These mercenaries sought to sow fear among the public and tarnish the image of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran through their calculated activities online,” the Tasnim and ISNA news agencies quote a statement from the Revolutionary Guards as saying.

They add that the arrests had been made in the western province of Lorestan.

Iran announced on Friday that it was placing temporary restrictions on the internet for the duration of the conflict. Numerous sites and apps have since been at least partially inaccessible.

Iran frequently arrests people and accuses them, without evidence, of spying for Israel.

7 more drones intercepted before entering Israeli airspace, IDF says

Seven drones launched at Israel from Iran were intercepted by the Israeli Air Force a short while ago, the military says.

Sirens had sounded in the Golan Heights, but the IDF says all of the drones were shot down before entering Israeli airspace.

Over a dozen UAVs have been launched by Iran at Israel since midnight.

Iran appears to successfully down Israeli drone for first time

Iran appears to have successfully downed an Israeli drone over the Isfahan area last night, state media reports, in a first.

Footage broadcast by Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB shows what appears to be a crashed Israeli Air Force Hermes 900.

The IDF has not commented. It has previously denied Iranian claims of shooting down Israeli aircraft, which were not backed by any evidence.

Video of wreckage of an Isralei Hermes drone shot down by the Iranian air defense in the Isfahan province this morning. pic.twitter.com/JAUpPsJVe7

— Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) June 18, 2025

Hacking group tied to Israel claims to have carried out cyberattack on Iranian cryptocurrency exchange company

A hacking group linked to Israel claims to have carried out a cyberattack on an Iranian cryptocurrency exchange company.

The group known as Gonjeshke Darande, or “predatory sparrow,” says it will “release Nobitex’s source code and internal information from their internal network” in 24 hours.

“Any assets that remain there after that point will be at risk!” the group says.

“The Nobitex exchange is at the heart of the regime’s efforts to finance terror worldwide, as well as being the regime’s favorite sanctions violation tool. Nobitex doesn’t even pretend to abide by sanctions. In fact, it publicly instructs users on how to use its infrastructure to bypass sanctions,” Gonjeshke Darande says in a post on X.

After the IRGC’s “Bank Sepah” comes the turn of Nobitex
WARNING!

In 24 hours, we will release Nobitex's source code and internal information from their internal network.
Any assets that remain there after that point will be at risk!

The Nobitex exchange is at the heart of the… pic.twitter.com/GFyBCPCFIE

— Gonjeshke Darande (@GonjeshkeDarand) June 18, 2025

Gonjeshke Darande yesterday claimed to have hacked Iran’s Bank Sepah. Reports indicated that the bank’s services were not unavailable after the hack.

In recent years, the group has claimed responsibility for several cyber attacks on Iran, including against gas stations and a steel factory.

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

“Bypassing sanctions doesn’t pay,” Gonjeshke Darande adds in a separate post, attaching screenshots purportedly showing seized crypto funds woth tens of millions of dollars.

bypassing sanctions doesn't pay @nobitexmarket pic.twitter.com/JPo0xmTBB2

— Gonjeshke Darande (@GonjeshkeDarand) June 18, 2025

As first repatriation flights land at Ben Gurion, official says 2,800 Israelis expected to fly home today

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

The first two flights bringing Israeli citizens back to Israel from Larnaca in Cyprus land at Ben Gurion Airport as the Israel Airports Authority says 2,800 are expected to return home today.

Between 100,000 and 150,000 Israelis have been stranded by the aerial war between Israel and Iran that has shuttered Israeli airspace.

“Our aim is to bring back as many people as possible, but it is more important that they are safe,” Israel Airports Authority CEO Sharon Kedmi tells Army Radio.

“We are carrying out assessments on an hourly basis,” he says.

A statement from the airports authority says that the return operation “is being managed in stages based on the level of risk and current security assessments, with a strong emphasis on the safety of passengers, aircrews and aircraft.”

It urges the public not to go to Ben Gurion Airport to greet arriving passengers or order taxis to pick them up from the airport due to “the current security situation.”

Katz amid ongoing Israeli operation in Iran: ‘This is how dictatorships fall’

Defense Minister Israel Katz at the Knesset in Jerusalem, April 24, 2025. (Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90)

As the IDF continues its operations in Iran, Defense Minister Israel Katz says in a post on X: “A tornado sweeps through Tehran. Symbols of power are being bombed and collapsing — from the broadcasting authority and soon other targets, as masses of residents flee. This is how dictatorships fall.”

The comment appears to allude to a potential collapse of the Islamic Republic’s regime, as strikes continue to target key government, military and nuclear institutions.

NYT: Israel began planning Iran strikes in December, Netanyahu gave presentation to Trump in February

US President Donald Trump, right, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a joint press conference at the White House in Washington, DC, February 4, 2025. (Liri Agami/Flash90)

Israel began planning for the strikes on Iran in December after the decimation of the Hezbollah terror group and the fall of the Assad regime in Syria opened up an air corridor, the New York Times reports.

According to the report, when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House in February, he gave a presentation to US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Iran’s nuclear program.

The report says that instead of opting to join the assault or doing nothing, Trump initially took a middle path and decided to give Israel “as-yet undisclosed support from the US intelligence community to carry out its attack.”

The wide-ranging report details Trump’s apparent shift in thinking on Iran over the past few months and days.

“When [Trump] woke on Friday morning, his favorite TV channel, Fox News, was broadcasting wall-to-wall imagery of what it was portraying as Israel’s military genius. And Mr. Trump could not resist claiming some credit for himself,” the newspaper writes.

The Times concludes that with Trump suggesting that the US could get directly involved, there is now “little indication that the conflict would be brought to a quick end through diplomacy.”

Air force shot down 3 more Iranian drones, IDF says

The Israeli Air Force shot down three more drones launched from Iran a short while ago, the IDF says.

Sirens had sounded in the Golan Heights.

Sirens sound in north amid suspected drone infiltration

Sirens are sounding in a number of communities in the north amid a suspected drone infiltration.

Israel is running low on Arrow missile interceptors, WSJ reports

Israeli air defense system fires to intercept Iranian missiles over Tel Aviv, June 13, 2025. (AP/Leo Correa)

Israel is running low on defensive “Arrow” missile interceptors, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing an unnamed US official, raising concerns about the country’s ability to counter long-range ballistic missiles from Iran.

There has been no Israeli confirmation of the report, and no indication from Israel of any shortage of interceptors. Most Iranian missiles fired at Israel in recent days have been intercepted, at similar rates to Iran’s attacks in 2024, according to the IDF.

The IDF planned its operation in Iran months in advance, and claims to have accurate intelligence on Iran’s ballistic missile stockpiles. The military said yesterday that some 40% of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers have been destroyed so far in the operation.

The Arrow system is not the only defensive measure being used against Iran’s missiles.

The US has both ground-based Patriot missile defense systems and Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) systems in the Middle East capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. US Navy destroyers have also shot down projectiles.

IDF says Palestinian man attempted to stab soldiers, snatch gun in West Bank; suspect ‘neutralized’

A Palestinian man armed with a knife attempted to stab soldiers and snatch one of their guns in the West Bank village of Walaja overnight, the military says.

The IDF says the troops, who were carrying out an operation in the village, opened fire and “neutralized” the suspect.

No soldiers were hurt.

Kneecap rapper due in London court on terror charge over Hezbollah flag

A member of Irish band Kneecap wears a Hezbollah flag at a concert in London on November 21, 2024. (Screen grab/YouTube)

A member of the provocative Irish rap group Kneecap, charged with a terror offense for allegedly showing support for Hezbollah, is due to appear in a London court today.

Liam O’Hanna, 27, known by his stage name Mo Chara, was charged last month after being accused of displaying a Hezbollah flag during a London concert last November. He will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

Footage from the concert appeared to show the band member shouting, “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah.”

Hezbollah and Hamas are banned in the UK and it is an offense to show support for the Iran-backed terror groups.

Kneecap, which has recently grabbed headlines for brazen statements against Israel and denouncing the war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, has denied the charge and called for fans to show up outside the court and support the singer.

The punk-rap group has also claimed that the video, which led to the charge, was taken out of context.

UK police have also said it was examining a video clip of the Belfast rap trio at a 2023 gig, appearing to show one member saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”

In February, the band posted a photo on social media of a balaclava-wearing individual, also apparently a group member, reading a book of statements by slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

3 Iranian drones intercepted over Israel by air force overnight, military confirms

Three drones launched at Israel from Iran overnight were intercepted by the Israeli Air Force, the military confirms.

Two were shot down over the Dead Sea area, and one was intercepted over northern Israel. Sirens had sounded in those areas.

WSJ: Trump hasn’t yet made a decision on potential US strikes on Iran

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)

US President Donald Trump has not yet decided whether the US could join Israel in carrying out attacks on Iran’s nuclear and military programs, White House officials tell the Wall Street Journal.

The officials say a strike was one of several options discussed at a meeting between Trump and his national security team.

The report says that Trump is still hoping that the threat of US military action will lead to Iran agreeing to US demands in nuclear talks.

Air force jets hit centrifuge production site in Tehran, weapons factories in overnight Iran strikes

Over 50 jets took part in overnight operations that included strikes on an Iranian centrifuge production site and several weapon-production facilities, the military says.

The centrifuge production site in Tehran was used by Iran to expand the scope and rate of its uranium enrichment for the purpose of developing nuclear weapons, the IDF says.

The military says that the weapon-production factories hit included a site for the production of raw materials and components for the assembly of the surface-to-surface missiles that the Iranian regime has been firing at Israel, as well as facilities for making systems and components for surface-to-air missiles designed to hit aircraft.

The IDF releases footage of jets taking off for the operations.

צה"ל תקף הלילה אתר ייצור צנטריפוגות ומספר אתרי ייצור אמצעי לחימה של המשטר האיראני

יותר מ-50 מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר, בהכוונה מודיעינית מדויקת של אגף המודיעין, השלימו בשעות האחרונות סדרת תקיפות של מטרות צבאיות במרחב טהראן.

במסגרת המאמץ הנרחב לפגוע בתכנית לפיתוח הנשק הגרעיני… pic.twitter.com/RNAAvSChgl

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) June 18, 2025

1st flight bringing citizens back to Israel lands

A nearly empty Ben Gurion Airport is seen after all flights were canceled following the start of Israeli strikes in Iran, on June 13, 2025. (Roy Alima/Flash90)

The first flight bringing Israeli citizens back to Israel after the conflict with Iran shuttered international flights lands at Ben Gurion airport outside of Tel Aviv.

The flight brings Israelis back to Israel from Larnaca, Cyprus.

Tens of thousands of Israelis have been stranded by the aerial war between Israel and Iran.

The Israeli companies participating in the repatriation flights include El Al, Arkia, Israir, and Air Haifa.

Israeli strikes have killed nearly 600 in Iran, rights group says

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

Israeli strikes have killed at least 585 people across Iran and wounded 1,326 others, a human rights group says.

The Washington-based group Human Rights Activists says it has identified 239 of the dead as civilians and 126 as security personnel.

The group, which also provided detailed casualty figures during the 2022 protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, crosschecks local reports in the Islamic Republic against a network of sources it has developed in the country.

Iran has not been publishing regular death tolls during the conflict and has minimized casualties in the past. Its last update, issued Monday, put the death toll at 224 people killed and 1,277 others wounded.

After sirens, IDF says it downed suspicious aircraft over northern Israel

After sirens sounded in northern Israel, the IDF says that the air force downed a “suspicious aerial target” launched from the east.

Sirens had sounded in the area north of Tiberias, a city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.

The alarms followed two volleys of missiles fired from Iran at Israel earlier in the night, and a suspected drone infiltration at the Dead Sea.

Sirens sound in northern Israel due to drone infiltration

People take shelter in an underground metro station as a precaution against Iran missile attacks, in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, June 17, 2025. (AP/Oded Balilty)

Sirens sound in northern Israel due to a suspected drone infiltration into Israeli airspace, the IDF says.

The alarms sound north of the city of Tiberias, on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.

The alert comes after two overnight volleys of Iranian missiles, and a suspected drone infiltration at the Dead Sea.

Iran’s president speaks to Emirati leader

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates, at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, on November 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici, File)

Iran’s president and the leader of the United Arab Emirates spoke by telephone yesterday, state media in both countries report.

On the Emirati side, the state-run WAM news agency says Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan “expressed the UAE’s solidarity with Iran and its people during these challenging times.”

Sheikh Mohammed “emphasized that the UAE continues to engage in intensive consultations with all concerned parties to help de-escalate tensions and support efforts to restore security and stability in the region,” it adds.

Explosions rock Tehran after warnings of Israeli strike

People stand on a rooftop as smoke billows following an Israeli strike in Tehran on June 17, 2025. (Atta Kenare/AFP)

A major explosion could be heard around 5 a.m. in Tehran, following other explosions that boomed earlier in the predawn darkness.

Authorities in Iran offer no acknowledgement of the attacks, which have become increasingly common as the Israeli airstrike campaign has intensified since they began on Friday.

The Israelis earlier warned they could strike a neighborhood south of Mehrabad International Airport, which includes residential neighborhoods, military installations, pharmaceutical companies and industrial firms.

Iranian news websites also report that Israel targeted the Imam Hossein University in eastern Tehran, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Satellite images show US ships in Bahrain dispersing

This April 14, 2020, photo provided by the US Army shows the USS Firebolt in Manama, Bahrain. (Spc. Cody Rich/U.S. Army via AP/ File)

Satellite images analyzed by The Associated Press appear to show that there are no longer any vessels anchored off the headquarters of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet in Bahrain as the strikes between Israel and Iran continue.

The images, taken yesterday, show the main dock there without any ships against it.

Dispersing ships is a common safety technique employed by navies around the world in times of trouble.

Iran has threatened to target US military installations in the region, though there’s not been any attack so far since the Israeli campaign against Iran began on Friday.

Iran says it controls the skies over Israel

Vehicles wait in traffic as people get out of Tehran through an artery in the city's west on June 15, 2025. (Atta Kenare/AFP)

An Iranian military spokesman, mirroring the language of Israel in recent days as it now operates with impunity over the skies of Iran, claims Tehran has “complete control over the skies” of Israel.

The remarks by Revolutionary Guard Col. Iman Tajik represent the latest effort by Tehran to convince an audience at home that Iran is in control after days of bombing by Israel.

He further claims: “Tonight’s missile attack showed that we have gained complete control over the skies of the occupied territories and that its residents have become completely defenseless against Iranian missile attacks.”

Israel has been shooting down many Iranian missile and drone attacks through its missile defense systems, but some missiles have gotten through and struck the country.

Khamenei threatens Israel again, this time in Hebrew

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a memorial in Tehran, Iran, May 20, 2025 for late president Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash last year. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei threatens Israel for at least the third time today, this time in Hebrew.

“We must act with force against the terrorist Zionist entity,” Khamenei says on his Hebrew-language X account.

“We will not be merciful toward the Zionists,” he says, echoing a threat he made earlier in English. He also threatened Israel a few hours ago in Farsi.

יש לפעול בעוצמה נגד הישות הציונית הטרוריסטית.
לא ננהג בסלחנות כלפי הציונים.

— Khamenei.ir Hebrew (@Khamenei_Heb) June 18, 2025

Israel reportedly attacking missile facility near Tehran

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

Israel is attacking the Khojir missile production facility near the Iranian capital, Tehran, according to Iranian news websites.

Israel attacked the same site in October 2024.

The reported strikes come after the IDF warned residents to evacuate part of Tehran, then said it was carrying out a series of strikes in the area of the capital.

Jewish NYC mayoral candidate Brad Lander arrested at immigration court

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is placed under arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and FBI agents outside federal immigration court, June 17, 2025, in New York. (AP/Olga Fedorova)

New York City Comptroller and Democratic mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested by federal agents at an immigration court after he linked arms with a person authorities were attempting to detain.

Lander, as city comptroller, is the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the city.

A reporter with The Associated Press and other journalists witnessed Lander’s arrest at a federal building in Manhattan, the latest confrontation between US agents and a Democratic politician objecting to the Trump administration’s mass detention and deportation programs.

Lander was released from custody after a few hours. The US attorney’s office says it is investigating his actions and will decide later whether to charge him with a crime. The immigrant, escorted out of the courtroom by Lander, is also arrested.

Lander had spent the morning observing immigration court hearings and tells an AP reporter he was there to “accompany” some immigrants out of the building.

Comptroller Brad lander was just arrested by ICE at federal plassa. pic.twitter.com/eVkdGwkn8f

— Dean_Moses (@Dean_Moses) June 17, 2025

In a statement, US Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin says Lander “was arrested for assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer.”

After his release, Lander exits the building holding hands with his wife and accompanied by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, to the cheers of a gathered crowd. He tells reporters that all he was trying to do was hold the arm of the man being detained and “certainly did not” assault an officer.

“I am happy to report that I am just fine. I lost a button,” Lander says, adding that he planned to return to the immigration court again as a form of nonviolent way of standing up to Trump’s immigration policies.

Lander is a candidate in the city’s Democratic mayoral primary, which will likely decide the next mayor of the mostly Democratic city. Early voting in the contest is underway, and the election is next week. Lander is in third place in most polls.

Lander identifies as a progressive Zionist and is a well-known figure in leftist Jewish circles in the city.

WhatsApp decries ‘false reports’ after Iran tells public to delete the app

Iranian state television urges the country’s public to remove the messaging platform WhatsApp from their smartphones, alleging the app — without offering specific evidence — gathered user information to send to Israel.

In a statement, WhatsApp says it is “concerned these false reports will be an excuse for our services to be blocked at a time when people need them the most.” WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption, meaning a service provider in the middle can’t read a message.

“We do not track your precise location, we don’t keep logs of who everyone is messaging and we do not track the personal messages people are sending one another,” it adds. “We do not provide bulk information to any government.”

End-to-end encryption means that messages are scrambled so that only the sender and recipient can see them. If anyone else intercepts the message, all they will see is a garble that can’t be unscrambled without the key.

WhatsApp is owned by Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

Iran has blocked access to various social media platforms over the years, but many people in the country use proxies and virtual private networks, or VPNs, to access them. It banned WhatsApp and Google Play in 2022 during mass protests against the government over the death of a woman held by the country’s morality police. That ban was lifted late last year.

WhatsApp had been one of Iran’s most popular messaging apps besides Instagram and Telegram.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards issues evacuation warning for Tel Aviv

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issues an evacuation warning for part of Tel Aviv, according to Iranian news agencies.

The warning includes a statement in Hebrew telling residents to leave part of north Tel Aviv immediately.

The threat comes after the IDF issued a similar warning in Farsi, urging evacuations from part of Tehran. The Iranian warning has a map that appears similar to one included in the Israeli warning.

Iran fired two volleys of missiles at Israel in recent hours. There were no reports of serious injuries or damage to residential areas.

Yesterday, the IRGC called on residents of Tel Aviv to evacuate, shortly after a similar warning from Israel.

Sirens sound in Dead Sea area due to suspected drone infiltration

Sirens sound in the Ein Gedi area of the Dead Sea due to a suspected drone infiltration into Israeli airspace.

The incident comes after Iran fired two volleys of around 25 total missiles at Israel, and a threat from Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

There are no immediate reports of serious injuries in the latest attacks.

The Home Front Command later announces that the incident has ended.

IDF conducts fresh strikes in area of Tehran

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

The IDF says the air force is carrying out a series of strikes in the area of the Iranian capital, Tehran.

The announcement comes after the IDF issued a warning to residents of Tehran, instructing those living in the city’s District 18 to evacuate due to impending Israeli operations against military infrastructure in the area.

US says Jerusalem embassy to close until Friday

Illustrative: A road sign shows the way toward the US embassy in Jerusalem on April 19, 2024. (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP)

The US State Department says the US embassy in Jerusalem will close until Friday.

The closure is due to security concerns and is in line with guidance from the IDF’s Home Front Command, the State Department says.

The consular sections in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv will both be closed.

The statement says there is no information about assisting US citizens in departing from Israel.

IDF instructs residents of Tehran district to evacuate

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)

The IDF instructs residents of District 18 in Tehran to evacuate in a statement posted in Farsi.

The statement warns that Israel is going to take action in the area targeting military infrastructure.

The statement includes a map marking the targeted area in the southwestern part of the city.

????هشدار فوری به کارکنان و نیز کلیه افرادی که در منطقه ۱۸ تهران بر اساس ناحیه مشخص شده بر روی نقشه ضمیمه قرار دارند.
⭕️طی ساعات آینده ارتش اسرائیل در این ناحیه همچنان که طی روزهای اخیر در محدوده تهران عمل نموده است، برای حمله به زیرساختهای نظامی رژیم ایران وارد عمل خواهد شد.… pic.twitter.com/VGbsDCLI84

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) June 17, 2025

Trump, Netanyahu finish phone call amid speculation US could join strikes on Iran

US President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he leaves the West Wing of the White House, April 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Mark Schiefelbein)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just wrapped up a phone call with US President Donald Trump, an Israeli official says.

Netanyahu said yesterday that he has spoken with Trump almost every day since the Israel-Iran conflict broke out last week.

Comments from Trump over the past day have raised speculation that the US could join Israel in striking Iran.