Israel and Iran exchanged strikes a week into their war Friday, while new diplomatic efforts appeared to be underway as Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Switzerland for meetings with the European Union’s top diplomat and counterparts from the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
Speaking beforehand at the United Nations’ top human rights forum in Geneva, Iran’s top diplomat called Israel’s strikes an “unprovoked aggression.”
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Israel’s military says 25 fighter jets carried out airstrikes Friday morning targeting “missile storage and launch infrastructure components” in western Iran.
Thousands of people protested in Iran’s capital over the ongoing Israeli strikes, with one hard-line demonstrator telling The Associated Press: “How can we compromise with an enemy that breaches deals?”
A week of Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 657 people and wounded 2,037 others, the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists said Friday.
Here’s the latest:
At least 19 wounded in Israel by Iranian missile barrage
Rambam hospital in the port city of Haifa said it received 19 wounded people from the site of an Iranian missile strike. Two people had serious-to-moderate injuries and the rest were lightly hurt, the hospital said.
Switzerland says it is temporarily closing its embassy in Tehran
Switzerland says it's closing the embassy in view of the “intensity of military operations” and the unstable situation on the ground. The government in Bern said Friday that all expatriate staff safely left Iran and will return to Tehran as soon as the situation allows.
Since Tehran and Washington don’t have diplomatic relations, Switzerland has looked out for America’s interests in Iran since the 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis. In its statement Friday, the Swiss government said it will continue to act as an intermediary transmitting communications “as and when both parties consider appropriate.”
Britain is withdrawing all UK staff from its Tehran embassy ‘as a precautionary measure’
The British Foreign Office said in a statement that “we take the protection of our staff and British nationals extremely seriously and we have long advised against all travel to Iran.”
The decision is based on the “current security situation” and not the anticipation that the war between Israel and Iran will escalate further, the statement said. It says the embassy in will operate remotely for the time being.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will decide within two weeks whether the U.S. will get directly involved.
Iran’s foreign minister arrives for talks in Geneva with top European diplomats
Iran’s foreign minister arrived Friday for talks with top European diplomats in Geneva about the crisis that centers on concerns about his country’s nuclear program, a week after the long-simmering dispute erupted into war between Israel and Iran.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived at a hotel in the Swiss city for a meeting with his counterparts from France, Germany and the U.K. and the European Union’s foreign policy chief. It is the first face-to-face meeting between Western and Iranian officials since the start of the conflict.
At the UN, Iran’s foreign minister calls Israel's attacks ‘unprovoked aggression’
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addressed the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva ahead of a meeting with top European diplomats.
He said “this is an unjust war imposed on my people.” He said that Israel’s “attacks on nuclear facilities are grave war crimes.”
Araghchi asserted that “any justification for this unjust and criminal war would be tantamount to complicity.”
He said that “we are entitled … and determined to defend our territorial integrity, national sovereignty and security with all force. This is our inherent right.”
Thousands of Iranians protest Israel's airstrikes
Thousands of people protested Friday in Iran’s capital after noon prayers over the ongoing Israeli airstrikes targeting the Islamic Republic.
Those in the crowd shouted: “Death to America! Death to Israel!”
“No compromise! No surrender! Fight with America!” they chanted at another point.
Some waved Iranian flags, while others carried placards decrying Israel. Iranian state television aired footage from the protests at other cities in the country as well, with one demonstrator seen pulling a man dressed up in a President Donald Trump mask by his necktie.
Iranian protester speaks about the war with Israel and the pitfalls of ‘compromise’
One 47-year-old resident of Tehran, Hossein Gorji, offered his hard-line viewpoint and said military operations against Israel should continue.
“Israel’s attack against Iran was not much of an attack. Iran has just started the offensive. We will stand by them (the armed forces) until the end,” he told The Associated Press.
“Compromise never reached any result, and it won’t in future. How can we compromise with an enemy that breaches deals? Let’s uproot and throw it away and comfort all Muslims around the world,” said Gorji.
Florida governor greets flight of evacuees from Israel
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was at Tampa International Airport on Friday morning to welcome a flight from Cyprus carrying around 160 people, including families and students, who had been stranded in Israel.
The state is working with partners, including Grey Bull Rescue, to facilitate the evacuations, flying more than 300 people on two flights and putting more than 1,100 on a passenger ferry, Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie said.
The focus is on bringing back Florida residents, but they’re not going to turn away fellow countrymen, DeSantis said at a news conference.
“It was not an easy voyage for these folks because they’re having to get on a cruise ship and they’re having to wait in Cyprus, and then all the things that go in between that, was difficult,” DeSantis said.
Britain working to provide charter flights to evacuate nationals
The British government says it is working with Israeli authorities to provide charter flights to evacuate U.K. nationals.
The U.K. says the flights will leave from Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv once airspace reopens. The number of flights will depend on demand.
Israel has closed the airport “until further notice” amid its week-old war with Iran, stranding tens of thousands of Israelis abroad, and moved the jets of the country’s three airlines to Cyprus.
Britain has evacuated family members of embassy staff from Israel but has not advised U.K. nationals in Israel and the Palestinian territories to leave the country.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that for those who want to leave, land routes out of Israel remain open and British staff will provide support, including transport to nearby airports for onward commercial flights.
Hezbollah supporters demonstrate in support of Iran
Hundreds of supporters of the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah gathered in Beirut’s southern suburbs after Friday afternoon prayers to demonstrate in support of Tehran in the ongoing Israel-Iran war.
Demonstrators carried the Iranian, Lebanese and Palestinian flags as well as that of Hezbollah, and chanted “death to America” and “death to Israel.” Some also chanted pledges of allegiance to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is revered as religious authority by many Shiite Muslims.
Hezbollah suffered severe losses in a war with Israel that ended with a US-brokered ceasefire in November and has so far remained on the sidelines the Iran-Israel war.
Macron says diplomats will offer to negotiate with Iran
French President Emmanuel Macron said European top diplomats will make a “comprehensive, diplomatic and technical offer of negotiation” to Iran in Geneva on Friday as a key response to the “threat” represented by Iran’s nuclear program.
“No one can seriously believe that this threat can be met with (Israel’s) current operations alone. Why? Because there are some plants that are highly protected and because today, no one knows exactly where’s the uranium enriched to 60%. So we need to regain control on (Iran’s nuclear) program through technical expertise and negotiation,” Macron said.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot will coordinate with U.K. and German counterparts in Geneva before they meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
“It’s absolutely essential to prioritize a return to substantial negotiations, including nuclear negotiations to move towards zero (uranium) enrichment, ballistic negotiations to limit Iran’s activities and capabilities and the financing of all terrorist groups and destabilization of the region that Iran has been carrying out for several years,” Macron insisted.
Macron also reiterated his call for Israel’s strikes on energy and civilian infrastructures and on civilian populations in Iran to be stopped. “There’s no justification for that,” he said.
Thousands demonstrate in Iraq to show support for Iran
Thousands of supporters of the influential Iraqi Shiite cleric and political leader Muqtada al-Sadr took to the streets on Friday in Sadr City, on the outskirts of Baghdad, in response to a call by al-Sadr to show support for Iran in its conflict with Israel.
The demonstration began after Friday prayers with protesters wearing white burial shrouds in a symbolic gesture of readiness to sacrifice. Some burned Israeli and U.S. flags.
The protest comes during escalating regional tensions. Iran-backed Iraqi militias have so far largely stayed out of the fray in the Israel-Iran war but have threatened to attack U.S. forces and interests in Iraq and the region if Washington launches direct attacks on Iran.
Italy organizes transport
Italy is organizing special ground convoys and flights to help Italians leave Iran and Israel. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani convened Middle East ambassadors in Rome on Friday to discuss the safety and needs of Italian embassy personnel and other Italians in the region. The foreign ministry said ground convoys were being organized to bring Italians out of Iran to neighboring countries. A special charter flight was scheduled for Sunday to depart from Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt to bring out any Italians from Israel, where the main airport remains closed until further notice.
Israeli airstrikes in western Iran
Israel’s military said it carried out airstrikes Friday targeting the areas around Kermanshah and Tabriz in western Iran.
The military said 25 fighter jets struck “missile storage and launch infrastructure components” Friday morning. There had been reports of anti-aircraft fire in the areas.
Iran did not immediately acknowledge the losses, though it has not discussed the damage done so far to its military in the weeklong war.
Moscow is ‘extremely concerned’
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that Moscow is “extremely concerned” by the tensions in the Middle East. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the annual event designed to showcase Russia’s economic prowess and court investors, Peskov said the Middle East “right now is plunging into the abyss of instability and war.”
“And the war that we are witnessing is fraught with geographic expansion, the involvement of many participants and unpredictable consequences,” Peskov said. “We are not on the other side of the ocean, this region is directly on our border. And in addition to the fact that this situation inevitably has a negative impact on the global economy, on energy markets and so on, it is, of course, potentially dangerous for us.”
Peskov added “there is always hope and always a possibility for diplomatic efforts,” and stressed Moscow has “condemned the escalation of violence in the region” and called for a diplomatic settlement of the conflict. He noted, however, that “for now, Israel’s desire is to continue the hostilities, at least that is how they officially declare their intentions.”
Quiet in Iran's capital
Iran’s capital experienced an unusually quiet weekend on Friday, as many residents had left the capital following the Israeli airstrikes that began last week.
Streets were empty with little traffic. Shops stood closed. Those who remain in the city seem to largely be choosing to stay indoors as the war between Israel and Iran continues.
Foreign minister says Iran not seeking negotiations during strikes
Iran’s foreign minister says his country is not seeking negotiations with anyone as long as Israel continues its strikes on Iran.
“In the current situation, as the Zionist regime’s attacks continue, we are not seeking negotiations with anyone,” said Abbas Araghchi during an interview aired Friday by Iranian state television.
He added: “I believe that as a result of this resistance (by Iran), we will gradually see countries distancing themselves from the aggression carried out by the regime, and calls for ending this war have already begun, and they will only grow stronger.”
Spain says citizens evacuated safely
Spanish citizens who requested to be evacuated from Iran landed safely in Armenia, Spain’s Foreign Minister José Albares said Thursday night.
They would soon be flown to Spain, Albares said on X.
Israeli airstrikes reach into the city of Rasht
Israeli airstrikes reached into the Iranian city of Rasht on the Caspian Sea early Friday, Iranian media reported. Social media video posted online appeared to show explosions around the city. The semiofficial Fars news agency reported local air defense systems were firing into the night sky against the Israelis.
Ahead of the strikes, the Israeli military put out a warning urging the public to flee the area around Rasht’s Industrial City, which sits a few kilometers (miles) southwest of the city’s downtown.
The Israelis did not immediately describe what they sought to destroy in the area. However, with Iran’s internet being shut off to the outside world, it was unclear how many people in Iran would be able to see the message.
French foreign minister speaks to US secretary of state
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot spoke by phone with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday evening.
A French diplomatic official said Barrot detailed the purposes of the Geneva meeting and Rubio “stressed the U.S. was ready for direct contact with the Iranians at any time.”
The official, who was not allowed to speak publicly on the issue, said they “jointly stressed the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program to Israel, the region and Europe.”
Tehran fires anti-aircraft weapons
Anti-aircraft batteries began firing Friday morning in Iran’s capital, Tehran. It wasn’t immediately clear what they were firing at.
Khamenei adviser in stable condition
A key security adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is now in stable condition, a week after being seriously wounded in an Israeli airstrike, a media outlet close to him reported Friday.
Nour News quoted Rear Adm. Ali Shamkhani as saying: “I am alive and ready to give my life away.”
Nuclear agency says Israel damages heavy water reactor
The International Atomic Energy Agency, in an update Friday, said an Israeli strike at the Arak heavy water reactor also damaged key buildings there, “including the distillation unit” there. That makes the heavy water at the site.
Aircraft transporting Iranian foreign minister to talks
An Iranian aircraft bearing a call sign associated with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is now airborne over Turkey. The Airbus A321 of Meraj Airlines took off from the Turkish city of Van, near the Iranian border, flight-tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed. It bore the call sign IRAN05, which Araghchi uses on his official travel.
Iran did not immediately acknowledge his departure, though it typically only does so hours later.
Araghchi is due for talks with European diplomats in Geneva on Friday, the first face-to-face negotiations he has conducted since the Israeli airstrikes began June 13.
German foreign minister says Iran can avoid escalation
Germany’s foreign minister says there is a chance of avoiding further escalation in the conflict if Tehran shows “serious and transparent readiness” to refrain from developing nuclear weapons.
“It is our commitment once again to undertake a very intensive attempt to dissuade Iran permanently from pursuing such plans,” Johann Wadephul said in a podcast released by broadcaster MDR Friday. “If there is serious and transparent readiness by Iran to refrain from this, then there is a real chance of preventing a further escalation of this conflict, and for that every conversation makes sense.”
Wadephul plans to meet Iran’s foreign minister in Geneva Friday along with his French, British and EU counterparts.
Wadephul said U.S. officials support the plan to hold talks, "so I think Iran should now know that it should conduct these talks with a new seriousness and reliability.”
Israel says missile systems and radar destroyed
The Israeli military said it has destroyed missile systems and radar installations around Isfahan. That corresponds to the sound of anti-aircraft fire heard in the area of Isfahan into Friday morning. Iran has not offered any acknowledgment so far of its military losses in the war.
Czech Republic, Slovakia, Australia and New Zealand close their embassies in Tehran
Czech Republic, Slovakia, Australia and New Zealand say they have closed their embassies in Tehran.
The Slovak Foreign Ministry said any remaining diplomats and staffers of the embassy are leaving Iran on Friday. New Zealand cited “the ongoing military conflict” for closing its embassy indefinitely.
Australia's Foreign Ministry said it was evacuating staff and their families due to the “deteriorating security environment." It also urged Australian citizens still in Iran to leave quickly.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and they agreed to work “closely” to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and to pursue peace.
“There is an opportunity … over the next two weeks for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy,” Wong said from Adelaide on Friday.
Russia dismisses US nuclear claims
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed claims the U.S. might use nuclear weapons in Iran as “speculation” in comments to state news agency Tass on Friday morning.
“There is a lot of speculation now,” Tass quoted Peskov as saying. “Such a turn of events would be catastrophic, but there is so much speculation that it is impossible to really comment on it.”
Britain's foreign secretary says situation in Middle East ‘remains perilous’
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the "situation in the Middle East remains perilous,” after meeting Thursday at the White House with his U.S. counterpart, Marco Rubio, and presidential envoy Steve Witkoff.
“We are determined that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon,” Lammy wrote in a post on X.