Iran, Israel Exchange Fresh Attacks Amid Stalled Nuclear Negotiations

Reuters

A missile launched from Iran is intercepted as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, June 21, 2025.

Iran and Israel exchanged fresh attacks in the early hours of Saturday, 21 June 2025, a day after Tehran declared it would not negotiate over its nuclear programme while under threat, as European nations sought to keep peace talks alive.

Iran’s Fars news agency reported that Israel had targeted the Isfahan nuclear facility, one of the country’s largest. There was, however, no leakage of hazardous materials. Iranian media also stated that Israel had attacked a building in the city of Qom, with initial reports indicating that a 16-year-old had been killed and two individuals injured.

The Israeli military confirmed it had launched a series of strikes against missile storage and launch infrastructure sites within Iran.

Shortly after 2:30 a.m. local time in Israel (2330 GMT on Friday), the Israeli military issued a warning regarding an incoming missile barrage from Iran, prompting air raid sirens across parts of central Israel, including Tel Aviv, as well as in the West Bank.

Interceptions were observed in the skies above Tel Aviv, with explosions reverberating throughout the metropolitan area as Israel’s air defence systems responded.

Sirens were also sounded in southern Israel, according to Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency service. An Israeli military official stated that Iran had fired five ballistic missiles, with no immediate indications of any missile impacts.

Israel commenced its attacks on Iran on 13 June 2025, asserting that its longstanding adversary was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Iran, which maintains that its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes, retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel.

According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, a U.S.-based human rights organisation monitoring Iran, Israeli air strikes have resulted in 639 fatalities in Iran, including senior military officials and nuclear scientists.

In Israel, authorities report that 24 civilians have been killed in Iranian missile attacks.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Friday that he believed Iran could obtain a nuclear weapon "within a matter of weeks, or certainly within a matter of months". He told reporters at Morristown Airport, New Jersey: "We can't let that happen."

He further commented that his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was mistaken in suggesting there was no evidence Iran is building a nuclear weapon.

Iran has repeatedly targeted Tel Aviv, where several critical military assets are situated.

Israel reported it had struck dozens of military targets on Friday, including missile production sites, a research body in Tehran it claimed was involved in nuclear weapons development, and military facilities in western and central Iran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated there was no room for negotiations with the U.S. "until Israeli aggression stops". Nevertheless, he arrived in Geneva on Friday for discussions with European foreign ministers, during which Europe hopes to establish a pathway back to diplomacy.

The U.S. President reiterated that he would take up to two weeks to decide whether the United States should intervene on Israel’s side, allowing time "to see whether or not people come to their senses", he said.

"I think it's very hard to make that request right now. If somebody is winning, it's a little bit harder to do than if somebody is losing, but we're ready, willing and able, and we've been speaking to Iran, and we'll see what happens," he added.

The Geneva talks yielded little sign of progress, and President Trump expressed doubt that negotiators would be able to secure a ceasefire.

"Iran doesn't want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help in this one," he remarked.

Israel's envoy to the United Nations, Danny Danon, informed the Security Council on Friday that his country would not cease its attacks "until Iran's nuclear threat is dismantled". Iran's U.N. envoy, Amir Saeid Iravani, called for Security Council action and expressed alarm at reports that the U.S. might join the conflict.

Russia and China have demanded immediate de-escalation.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran was prepared to discuss limitations on uranium enrichment but would reject any proposal that barred it from enriching uranium entirely, "especially now under Israel's strikes".



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