BLOG Trump: I might attack Iran, I might not; Iran: Trump is lying, we are not negotiating with an irrelevant warmonger

Israel-Iran conflict - day 6

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Ali Khamenei, Photo: Reuters
Ali Khamenei, Photo: Reuters
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.
Ažurirano: 18.06.2025. 22:11h
Finished
21h06PM

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "deeply concerned by the continued military escalation in the Middle East between Israel and Iran."

"I reiterate my call for an urgent de-escalation leading to a ceasefire. I appeal to all to avoid further internationalization of the conflict. Any additional military intervention could have enormous consequences, not only for those involved, but also for the entire region and for international peace and security as a whole. Diplomacy remains the best and only way to address concerns about Iran's nuclear program and regional security issues," Guterres said.

(RSE)

21h03PM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked US President Donald Trump for "standing with Israel".

"We are in constant contact, including last night, we had a very cordial conversation," Netanyahu said in his daily video statement.

He acknowledged that Israel is suffering many "painful losses," but said: "The front is strong, the people are determined, and Israel is stronger than ever."

19h25PM

The Israeli military said it had identified missiles fired from Iran and that Israeli defense systems were working to "intercept the threat."

In a statement, the Israeli military (IDF) ordered citizens to take shelter in a protected area and remain there until further notice.

(RSE)

19h16PM

Iran has told residents of a part of the Israeli city of Haifa to evacuate because "there is a danger to life."

Haifa has been the target of Iranian attacks over the past week. The Israeli military says most of the missiles were intercepted, but some locations were hit.

(RSE)

18h02PM

Iran's mission to the United Nations has responded to Donald Trump's claim that Tehran has reached out to Washington.

"No Iranian official has ever asked to crawl to the White House door," the statement said.

"The only thing more disgusting than his lies is his cowardly threat to 'remove' Iran's supreme leader. Iran does not negotiate under duress, does not accept peace under duress, and certainly not with an irrelevant warmonger who is frantically trying to stay relevant. Iran will respond to any threat, and to any attack reciprocally."

(RSE)

17h15PM

US President Donald Trump spoke to reporters at the White House.

He was asked if the US was getting closer to attacking Iranian nuclear facilities.

He quickly dismissed all questions about possible American involvement in Iran.

"I can't say that," he said.

"Maybe I'll do it, maybe I won't. Nobody knows what I want to do. But I can say this: Iran has a lot of problems and wants to negotiate."

(RSE)

16h19PM

"The Israeli Air Force has destroyed the headquarters of Iran's internal security," the Israeli defense minister announced.

"Tornadoes are still hitting Tehran," said Israel Katz.

"Fighter jets have now destroyed the Iranian regime's internal security headquarters, the Iranian dictator's main repressive apparatus. As we promised, we will continue to target symbols of power and attack the Ayatollah's regime."

(RSE)

15h38PM

An explosion rocked the northern part of Tehran today, AFP reported, on the sixth day of the military conflict between Iran and Israel.

An explosion of unknown origin in the north of the city occurred while several other explosions shook the eastern part of Tehran.

The famous Vali-Asr Avenue, which cuts through Tehran from north to south, is partially closed.

The Israeli military, for its part, announced that attacks on military targets in the Iranian capital were underway.

"The Israeli Air Force is currently targeting Iranian regime military targets in Tehran," the statement said.

(Beta)

13h46PM

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said today that the world is "a millimeter away from catastrophe" due to daily Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, Russian state news agency RIA reported, Reuters reported.

13h30PM

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful has urged Iranian leaders to provide credible guarantees that Iran is not seeking nuclear weapons and to show they are ready to find a negotiated solution, as fears grow of 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," Vadeful said today at a press conference with his Jordanian counterpart.

13h29PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin and United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan spoke by phone today and agreed on the urgent need to end the conflict between Israel and Iran, the Kremlin said, Reuters reported.

Putin reiterated Russia's readiness to serve as a mediator to help find a diplomatic solution to Israeli and Western concerns over Iran's nuclear program, the Kremlin added.

12h51PM

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned today that direct US military aid to Israel could radically destabilize the situation in the Middle East, where an air war between Iran and Israel has been raging for six days, Reuters reported.

In separate comments, the head of Russia's foreign intelligence service SVR, Sergei Naryshkin, said the situation between Iran and Israel was now critical.

Ryabkov warned the United States (US) not to provide direct military aid to Israel or even consider such "speculative options", according to the Russian news agency Interfax.

"This would be a step that would radically destabilize the entire situation," the statement said.

Earlier, a source familiar with internal discussions in the US said that President Donald Trump and his team were considering a range of options, including joining Israel in attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.

On Tuesday, Trump openly mused on social media about assassinating Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but said, "We're not going to eliminate him (kill him!), at least not yet."

Israel launched air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, scientists and senior military leaders last Friday in a surprise attack that Russia condemned as unprovoked and illegal. Iran responded with missile and drone strikes on Israeli cities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who signed a strategic partnership agreement with Iran in January, has called for a cessation of hostilities.

Change: 13:08 p.m
12h41PM

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement read by a television presenter on Sunday that his country would not accept US President Donald Trump's call for unconditional surrender, Reuters reported.

In his first statements since Friday, when he gave a speech broadcast on state media after Israel began bombing Iran, Khamenei said that neither peace nor war could be imposed on the Islamic Republic.

"Intelligent people who know Iran, the Iranian nation and its history will never speak threatening language to this nation because the Iranian nation will not surrender. Americans should know that any American military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage," he said.

Trump openly mused on social media yesterday about assassinating Iran's Khamenei, but said: "We will not eliminate (kill) him!, at least not for now."

Trump also called on Iran yesterday for "unconditional surrender."

Change: 13:09 p.m
12h34PM

Thousands of people are fleeing Tehran after Israeli warplanes bombed the city overnight, and a source said US President Donald Trump is considering options that include joining Israel in attacking Iranian nuclear facilities, Reuters reported.

An Israeli military official said 50 Israeli aircraft struck about 20 targets in Tehran overnight, including sites that produce raw materials, components and missile production systems. Israel told residents of southwest Tehran to evacuate so its air force could strike.

Iran responded with a new missile attack on Israel and a new warning that it would respond against the United States (US) if Washington joined the war.

The roads north of Tehran were congested with traffic.

"We left Tehran this morning. My children were scared and we will stay at my brother's house near Karaj," Alireza (37), a businessman, told Reuters by telephone.

Arezu (31) managed to get out of the capital and is in the nearby tourist town of Lavasan.

"We will stay here as long as this war lasts. My friend's house in Tehran was attacked and her brother was injured. They are civilians. Why are we paying the price of the regime's decision to continue with its nuclear program?" she told Reuters.

A flurry of Trump's social media posts on Tuesday, including a demand for Iran's "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!" and a post contemplating the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has increased speculation that he could drag the US into war.

A source familiar with internal discussions said Trump and his team are considering a range of options, including joining Israel in strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, Reuters reported.

12h29PM

Ali Bahreini, the Islamic Republic of Iran's ambassador to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, told reporters that he sees the United States (US) as "complicit in what Israel is doing," Reuters reports.

The United States has so far taken only indirect measures in the ongoing conflict with Iran, including helping to shoot down missiles fired at Israel. Three US officials confirmed to Reuters that the United States is sending additional fighter jets to the Middle East and extending the deployment of existing aircraft.

Bahreini also said that Iran would respond strongly to Israeli attacks.

"We will not show any hesitation in defending our people, security and territory - we will respond seriously and strongly, without hesitation," Bahreini told reporters.

12h24PM

Israeli military strikes hit two factories in Iran that produced parts for centrifuges - machines that enrich uranium, the United Nations nuclear agency said on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

"At a site in Tehran, a building where rotors for advanced centrifuges were manufactured and tested was hit. In Karaj, two buildings where various components for centrifuges were manufactured were destroyed," the International Atomic Energy Agency said on the IX network.

12h17PM

The Israeli military announced today, for the first time since the start of its strikes on Iran, that one of its drones had been shot down in Iranian territory after being hit by a missile.

"A surface-to-air missile was fired at an Israeli Air Force drone and fell in Iran," the military said.

She added that there were no injuries and there is no risk of "information leaks."

The military does not specify which type of aircraft was shot down.

The news agency affiliated with the Iranian state-run Radio and Television (IRIB) earlier announced that air defenses shot down a modern Hermes drone in the skies over Isfahan in central Iran this morning.

Iran launched an attack on Israel on June 13th, reportedly to prevent the country from acquiring an atomic bomb, a goal Iran has always denied it has.

(BETA)

11h29PM

US President Donald Trump is considering joining Israel in attacking Iranian nuclear facilities, including the facility in Ford.

This was told to CBS News by five sources familiar with the situation.

Trump earlier held a meeting at the White House with his national security team about the Israeli-Iranian conflict, which lasted almost 90 minutes.

Trump's closest advisers are divided over this move, which experts believe would "completely change" the conflict.

Iran's Fordo uranium enrichment facility is located deep underground and only the Americans have a bomb that can destroy it, writes the BBC.

Dara Konduit, from the University of Melbourne's political science department, told the BBC that US involvement in a conflict between Israel and Iran was a "scary idea".

"The involvement of the US would completely change the way Iran fights the war. It would remove any possibility of Iran giving in," she said, adding that Iran would be forced to attack US points of interest in the Middle East.

Trump's suddenly escalating rhetoric about the conflict suggests he is considering joining the Israeli offensive, said Professor Amnon Aran, an Israeli foreign policy expert.

(Beta)

09h52PM

Iran said today it had fired hypersonic missiles at Israel in the latest round of overnight strikes, hours after US President Donald Trump demanded the Islamic Republic's "unconditional surrender", the Guardian reports.

09h49PM

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed today that his country "will show no mercy" to Israel's rulers, AFP reports, The Guardian reports.

"We must respond strongly to the terrorist Zionist regime. We will show no mercy to the Zionists," Khamenei posted on the social network X.

Change: 12:44 p.m

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