Israel-Iran War: Bombs Falling, Civilians Dying, and Trump's 2-Week Deadline!

2025-06-21 18:01:05.962

Renewed attacks: Israel and Iran exchanged fresh strikes as the conflict entered a second week with little sign of ending. Israel claimed the killing of two commanders in Iran’s elite Quds Force and attacked Iran’s nuclear research complex in Isfahan. A possible change of tactics: Israel reported fewer ballistic missile strikes from Iran overnight, suggesting this was a result of successful strikes on batteries. Iran says it is shifting to using precision missiles. But two drones struck Israel, rare instances of Iran breaching Israeli defenses. Diplomatic push: Iran’s foreign minister is in Turkey for talks, following Friday’s summit with European officials that yielded no breakthrough. Abbas Araghchi warned that US involvement would be “dangerous for everybody.” Trump’s deadline: President Donald Trump meanwhile indicated that his two-week timeline for a decision on US military involvement in Iran is the “maximum” amount of time — and that he could make up his mind sooner. Karen and Omri Mamon, dual American-Israeli citizens, traveled to Israel last month to attend the wedding of Omri’s sister. They didn’t think they would spend their time afterward moving from one house to another, searching for shelter. A week after the wedding, Israel launched its attack on Iran. Most flights out of Ben Gurion Airport were canceled, leaving many stranded and unable to get home. Some of Iran’s internet access restrictions have been eased, after the country earlier this week was sent into a near-total blackout, according to Iran’s communications minister. The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog says a centrifuge workshop in Iran’s nuclear research complex in Isfahan was damaged in Israeli strikes, but there is no danger of hazardous materials leakage. Israel’s military says it has intercepted 99% of the Iranian drones launched at the country since the start of the conflict more than one week ago. In a rare penetration of Israel’s aerial defenses, one drone struck the town of Beit Shean in northern Israel Saturday morning and another landed in an open area in southern Israel. Over 400 people have been killed in Iran since the beginning of the Israeli-Iranian conflict last Friday, Iran state broadcaster IRIB reported today, citing Iran’s health ministry. Thousands of people have been injured, it added. Israel claimed to have killed two commanders in Iran’s elite Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in strikes overnight. French President Emmanuel Macron said France will “accelerate” negotiations between European nations and Iran, following a phone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his country won’t negotiate with the US while Israeli bombardment continues, warning that if the US were to get involved in the war, it would be “very dangerous for everybody.” Tehran residents have told CNN that although the Iranian capital remains relatively quiet, people are trying to return to normal life ahead of Sunday when the work week will resume. Israeli strikes in Iran have killed 54 women and children, Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani was cited as saying in state media. Two Iranian drones penetrated Israel’s air defenses and struck sites in the north and south, according to the Israeli military, marking one of the rare instances in which one-way attack drones from Iran successfully breached Israeli air defenses. Iran’s foreign minister has said his country cannot negotiate with the US while Israeli bombardment continues, warning that if the US were to get involved in the war, it would be “very dangerous for everybody.” Iranian state media reported earlier on Saturday that a strike on a residential building in the central Iranian city of Qom killed two people and injured four others. Iran is uncertain about trusting the United States in peace talks, its foreign minister has said, suggesting President Donald Trump’s negotiations were a “cover” for Israeli attacks on his country. Iran will not give in easily and may want to prolong its conflict with Israel to inflict more damage on its long-time enemy, security analyst Afshon Ostovar told CNN. India will evacuate all of its nationals from Iran, New Delhi’s embassy in Tehran said in a post on X Saturday.