News Flash
JERUSALEM, June 18, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Israel and Iran exchanged fire again
on Wednesday, the sixth day of strikes in their most intense confrontation in
history, fuelling fears of a drawn-out conflict that could engulf the Middle
East.
Here are the latest developments:
- New missile salvo -
Israel's army on Wednesday said it had detected new missiles launched from
Iran, adding that its defensive systems were operating to intercept the threat.
The announcement came after Iran issued an evacuation warning for residents
of the Israeli city of Haifa.
The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, meanwhile announced plans for
evacuating Americans by air and sea.
- Near-total internet blackout -
Iran was in a "near-total national internet blackout", London-based
watchdog NetBlocks wrote on X.
Iran announced last week that it was placing temporary restrictions on the
internet for the duration of the conflict, placing heavier limits on Wednesday.
The communication ministry said in a in a statement carried by Fars news
agency that the limits were imposed due to Israel's "abuse of the country's
communication network for military purposes."
Numerous sites and apps have been at least partially inaccessible.
State television appealed to Iranians on Tuesday to delete WhatsApp from
their phones, charging that the messaging app gathers users' location and
personal data and "communicates them to the Zionist enemy".
A WhatsApp spokesperson hit back against the claims, saying: "We're
concerned these false reports will be an excuse for our services to be blocked
at a time when people need them the most."
- Trump on strikes, negotiations -
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was considering whether the United
States will join Israeli strikes on Iran and said that Tehran had reached out
to seek negotiations on ending the conflict.
"I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do,"
Trump told reporters. "I can tell you this, that Iran's got a lot of trouble,
and they want to negotiate."
Trump said Iran had even suggested sending officials to the White House for
talks on Tehran's nuclear program in a bid to end Israel's air assault, but
added that it was "very late".
When asked if it was too late for negotiations, he said: "Nothing is too
late."
- Israel says hit 'internal security' HQ -
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said air force jets had destroyed
Iran's "internal security headquarters", while AFP journalists reported hearing
blasts in Tehran.
"Air Force jets have just destroyed the internal security headquarters of
the Iranian regime -- the main arm of repression of the Iranian dictator," Katz
said in a statement, vowing to "strike symbols of governance and hit the
Ayatollah regime wherever it may be".
- Khamenei warns US against intervention -
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said his nation would "never
surrender", while warning the United States it would suffer "irreparable
damage" if it intervenes in the conflict.
"This nation will never surrender," Khamenei said in a speech read on state
television.
"America should know that any military intervention will
undoubtedly result in irreparable damage."
Trump had stepped up his rhetoric, saying on Tuesday that the United States
knows where Khamenei is located but will not kill him "for now".
- Rising toll -
Israel's attacks have hit nuclear and military facilities around Iran, as
well as residential areas.
Residential areas in Israel have also been hit, and foreign governments
have scrambled to evacuate their citizens from both countries.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Monday that at
least 24 people have been killed in Israel and hundreds wounded since Iran's
retaliatory strikes began Friday.
Iran said on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people,
including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians.
