Iran Israel war highlights: Israel accuses Iran of firing missile armed with cluster bombs

A US official said Wednesday there no plans for US involvement in nuclear talks set between senior European diplomats and Iran in Geneva, although that could change.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic communications, also noted that the Europeans have been wanting to play a role in the negotiations for months but have been held back by the US

That position, the official said, may be changing as the hostilities intensify. (AP)

The United States has begun evacuating some of its diplomatic staff from the embassy in Israel, according to two US officials, reported AP. A government aircraft transported several diplomats and their family members who had requested to leave on Wednesday, though the exact number of evacuees remains unclear.

The officials, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the situation, said the move occurred just before US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced on X that preparations were underway for evacuation flights and naval transport for private American citizens.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday appeared to rebuff Putin's earlier offer to mediate in the conflict, saying the Russian president should end his own conflict in Ukraine first.

"I spoke to him yesterday and... he actually offered to help mediate, I said 'do me a favor, mediate your own,'" Trump told reporters as he unveiled a giant new flag pole at the White House. (AFP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that a resolution could be reached to end the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. He offered Russia’s assistance in mediating a potential agreement that would allow Iran to maintain a peaceful nuclear program while addressing Israel’s security concerns.

During a roundtable discussion with senior editors from major international news agencies, Putin said that Moscow had shared its proposals with Iran, Israel, and the United States.

“We’re not trying to force anything on anyone…We’re simply outlining how we believe the crisis might be resolved. Ultimately, the decision lies with the political leaders of the countries involved, especially Iran and Israel,” he said. 

The Arak heavy water reactor is 250 kilometers (155 miles) southwest of Tehran.

Heavy water helps cool nuclear reactors, but it produces plutonium as a byproduct that can potentially be used in nuclear weapons. That would provide Iran another path to the bomb beyond enriched uranium, should it choose to pursue the weapon.

Iran had agreed under its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers to redesign the facility to relieve proliferation concerns.

In 2019, Iran started up the heavy water reactor’s secondary circuit, which at the time did not violate Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. (AP)

Israel’s military warned people Thursday to evacuate the area around Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor.

The warning came in a social media post on X. It included a satellite image of the plant in a red circle like other warnings that proceeded strikes.

The Arak heavy water reactor is 250 kilometers (155 miles) southwest of Tehran. (AP)

The CEO of oil firm Shell, Wael Sawan, said on Thursday the firm was being "very careful" with its shipping through the Middle East given the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. (Reuters) 

The fighting between Israel and Iran continued on Thursday as the Israel military said it downed a second Iranian done in less than an hour. 

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected US calls for 'unconditional surrender' in the face of more Israeli strikes and warned that the US military involvement would cause “irreparable damage to them.” Click here to read latest developments.

Senior US officials are making preparations for a potential strike on Iran in the coming days, Bloomberg reported citing sources familiar with the discussions. This is an indication that Washington may be positioning itself to become directly involved in the conflict with Tehran.

The plans remain fluid and could shift, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the talks. Some suggested the possibility of an operation as early as the weekend. One source noted that top officials across several federal agencies have already begun gearing up for a potential military action.

As the Israel-Iran conflict entered its seventh day on Thursday, US President Donald Trump declined to reveal whether the United States would join Israel’s military campaign targeting Iranian nuclear sites. Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump said, “I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do.”

Later, President Trump said Iranian officials had expressed interest in visiting Washington for talks, adding, “We may do that.” However, he noted, “It's a little late” for such discussions. Read more.

The Israeli military says it is currently conducting a series of strikes in Tehran and additional areas in Iran, reported Reuters.

At least 639 people have been in Iran by Israeli strikes and 1,329 others have been injured, says a human rights group, reported Associated Press. 

Iran's foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a post on early Thursday morning that his country has only acted in self defence and accused Israeli PM Netanyahu of “manufacturing this war to destroy diplomacy”. 

He also added that Iran has never and will never seek nuclear weapons and that his country will continue to act in self-defence. 

In a post on X, Seyed Abbas Araghchi said, "By now, the whole world should know that:

(1) Iran solely acts in self-defense. Even in the face of the most outrageous aggression against our people, Iran has so far only retaliated against the Israeli regime and not those who are aiding and abetting it. Just like Netanyahu manufactured this war to destroy diplomacy, the world should be highly alarmed about increasing attempts by the failing Israeli regime to get others to bail it out and to expand the flames to the region and beyond.

(2) Iran has proven in action what it has always publicly committed itself to: we have never sought and will never seek nuclear weapons. If otherwise, what better pretext could we possibly need for developing those inhuman weapons than the current aggression by the region's only nuclear-armed regime?

(3) Iran will continue to exercise its right to self-defense, with pride and bravery, and we will make the aggressor regret and pay for its grave error.

(4) With the exception of the illegitimate, genocidal and occupying Israeli regime, we remain committed to diplomacy. As before, we are serious and forward-looking in our outlook."

Iran has arrested 18 'enemy agents' who were building drones in the northeastern city of Mashhad for Israeli attacks, report Iranian news agencies according to Reuters.

United States President Donald Trump said he would hold another meeting on Wednesday (local time) to review the situation in the Middle East, but remained vague about whether the US would join Israel’s offensive targeting Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites.

He told reporters the meeting would take place in the White House Situation Room and again criticized Tehran for delaying negotiations, reported Bloomberg. However, he said no final decision had been made on launching military strikes.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump had approved a plan for strikes on Iran on Tuesday but paused final authorization, hoping Iranian officials would respond to his demand to abandon their nuclear program.

If the United States chooses to enter Israel's offensive against Iran and launch strikes, it may look to use the joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia—a move that would reportedly require British approval. Under a recent agreement involving the return of the Chagos Islands, the UK leases the base from Mauritius, while the United States covers its operational expenses.

Iran Israel war live updates: United Kingdom's foreign secretary, David Lammy, is set to meet his US counterpart Marco Rubio in Washington as US President Donald Trump is still weighing whether to join Israeli strikes on Iran on nor. The talks between Lammy and Rubio will focus on the Middle East as the possibility of American military involvement grows, reported PA. The meeting follows UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Cobra session on Wednesday, where senior ministers were updated on ongoing diplomatic efforts and the UK’s support for British nationals in the conflict zone.

Iran's air defence intercepts drones over the outskirts of capital Tehran, reports semi-official news agency SNN

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday firmly rejected US demand to surrender amid ongoing Israeli attacks and warned that any American military intervention would inflict "irreparable damage" on the United States. 

Khamenei’s remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump posted on social media, calling for Iran’s unconditional surrender. In the same message, Trump also warned Khamenei that the US was aware of his whereabouts but had no immediate intention to target him — “at least not for now.”

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday refused to discuss the possibility that Israel and the United States would kill Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and said the Iranian people were consolidating around the leadership in Tehran.

Asked what his reaction would be if Israel did kill Khamenei with the assistance of the United States, Putin said: “I do not even want to discuss this possibility. I do not want to.”

"We see that today in Iran, with all the complexity of the internal political processes taking place there...that there is a consolidation of society around the country's political leadership," Putin told senior news agency editors. (Reuters) 

Iran Israel war live updates: President Donald Trump met with his senior advisers on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of involving the United States in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. However, the White House gave little indication about whether he had decided to take military action targeting Tehran’s nuclear facilities, reported Bloomberg.

Speaking to reporters before the meeting, Trump said he had not yet made a final decision. He once again criticized Iranian leaders for delaying talks with him and reaffirmed his commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Iran Israel war live updates: An aircraft carrying over Indian 100 students, who were evacuated to Armenia from Iran amid conflict with Israel, landed in Delhi in the early hours of Thursday under India's ‘Operation Sindhu’. The 110 students crossed the border from Iran's Tehran to Armenia through arrangements made by the Indian embassy under ‘Operation Sindhu’ amid widening conflict between Iran and Israel.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said Indian students in Tehran have been moved out of the city for safety reasons through arrangements made by the Indian Embassy. Other residents who are self-sufficient in terms of transport have also been advised to move out of the city in view of the developing situation, the MEA had said. Read more.