US mulls joining attack as Israel rains blows on Iran

Summary

Washington knows Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's hiding place but has no plans to kill him "for now", US President Donald Trump said.
US President Trump said total control had been gained over Iran's skies, demanding Iran's "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!" in posts on Truth Social.
Israel ordered a vast new section of Tehran home to hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate, as a huge explosion caused a mushroom cloud to rise over Eastern Tehran.
Israeli attacks have so far killed 585 people and injured 1,326 in Iran, the human rights website HRANA reported citing non-governmental sources. The casualties were among military personnel and civilians, it added.
Iran has fired 400 ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel since the conflict began, according to Israeli military.
Israel said it killed Ali Shadmani, the commander of IRGC's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters appointed just four days earlier, in a targeted airstrike on a Tehran command center.
Iran’s parliament passed a fast-tracked bill on Tuesday imposing harsher punishments for individuals accused of aiding foreign governments it considers hostile.
President Trump said he wants Iran to fully abandon its nuclear program rather than pursue a ceasefire and warned of a strong US response if American troops are targeted.
G7 leaders issued a statement backing Israel's right to defend itself and its security, calling Iran the "principal source of regional instability and terror."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Iran International that the military campaign against Iran is giving its people a chance to topple the Islamic Republic.

Jun 18, 2025, 09:03 GMT+1

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Jun 18, 2025, 08:25 GMT+1

Iran’s president calls for public mobilization

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday urged officials to rally local communities and boost public participation in response to ongoing Israeli attacks.

“Bring the people and neighborhoods to the scene and create participation,” Pezeshkian said during a cabinet meeting, signaling a call for grassroots mobilization.

He did not elaborate on any plans.

He also directed all government institutions to provide support for those affected by the strikes, as the conflict with Israel continues to escalate.

Jun 18, 2025, 07:59 GMT+1

Satellite imagery reveals Israeli damage to Iranian targets

A series of before and after images published by US aerospace firm Maxar Technologies on Tuesday revealed the extent of damage wrought by Israeli attacks on a missile site in Tabriz and the Mashhad airport.

See them here.

Jun 18, 2025, 07:52 GMT+1

‘This is how dictatorships fall,’ Israeli foreign minister says

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday likened the current situation in Tehran to a “tornado,” saying Iranian state symbols were collapsing and citizens were fleeing.

"Symbols of the regime are being bombed and collapsing – from the broadcasting authority and soon other targets, and masses of residents are fleeing. This is how dictatorships fall," Katz posted on X.

Jun 18, 2025, 07:27 GMT+1

Israel facing shortage of missile interceptors - WSJ

Israel is running low on its stock of Arrow missile interceptors, raising fresh concerns over the country's ability to counter long-range ballistic missiles from Iran if the conflict drags on, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The report cited a senior US official as saying that Washington has been aware of the issue for several months and has stepped in to bolster Israeli air defenses, deploying systems across land, sea, and air.

Since hostilities intensified in June, the Pentagon has ramped up its regional missile defense presence, though US interceptor supplies are also under strain.

“Neither the US nor the Israelis can continue to sit and intercept missiles all day,” said Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “The Israelis and their friends need to move with all deliberate haste... we cannot afford to sit and play catch.”

The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement it was “prepared and ready to handle any scenario,” but added it could not discuss munitions-related matters.

Arrow is a critical part of Israel’s multi-layered defense shield, designed to intercept high-altitude ballistic missiles, including those potentially launched from Iran.

Israel's Arrow-3 ballistic missile shield is seen during a series of live interception tests over Alaska, US, in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on July 28, 2019.

Jun 18, 2025, 07:01 GMT+1

EXCLUSIVESome IRIB staff refuse to return to work after Israeli strike

A group of employees at Iran’s state broadcaster, IRIB, have said they will not return to work following Israel’s recent strike on the organization, according to information received by Iran International.

IRIB Glass Building in Tehran after an Israeli strike on June 16, 2025

Jun 18, 2025, 06:41 GMT+1

Iranian MP says full power not yet used in response to Israel

Iran is moving "step by step" in its response to Israel and has "not shown all its power," senior lawmaker Abbas Moghtadaei said in an interview with ILNA on Wednesday.

“We have many surprises in our bag,” said Moghtadaei, who serves as the first deputy of parliament’s national security and foreign policy commission.

Jun 18, 2025, 06:07 GMT+1

Western leaders at G7 express caution as Trump tilts closer to Iran war

France warned against toppling Tehran and other Western leaders expressed caution while the United States appeared closer to joining Israel's campaign on Tuesday, as the shock Middle East conflict dominated the G7 Summit in Alberta.

Full story here.

G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, in Alberta, Canada, June 17, 2025.

Jun 18, 2025, 06:05 GMT+1

Iran extends flight cancellations until 14:00 Wednesday – SNN

Iran’s Civil Aviation Authority said flight cancellations have been extended until 14:00 local time (10:30 GMT) on Wednesday, state-affiliated SNN reported.

Jun 18, 2025, 06:01 GMT+1

EXCLUSIVEIran running low on missiles, ex-Israeli intel chief says after quiet night

After the quietest night since Iran began its retaliatory attacks on Israel on Friday, the former head of the Iranian strategic desk in Israeli Defense Intelligence, a branch of the Israeli military, told Iran International that Tehran’s missile stocks are running low.

Danny Citrinowicz, who now heads the Iran and Shia axis program at the Institute of National Security Studies, said that at the beginning of the war, intelligence estimates showed Iran had around 2,000 missiles.