• 21 Jun, 2025
• Faith Kegh
• No comment

Iran and Israel Exchange New Strikes as Nuclear Talks Collapse.

Iran and Israel launched fresh attacks on each other early Saturday, intensifying tensions just a day after Tehran d

eclared it would not resume nuclear negotiations under what it called Israeli aggression. Meanwhile, European efforts to mediate showed little progress.

  Exchange of Fire and Air Defense Response

Iranian state media reported that Israeli airstrikes targeted two sites: a nuclear facility in Isfahan and a building in Qom. While there were no reports of radioactive leaks, initial accounts claimed one teenager was killed and two others injured.

The Israeli military confirmed it had struck multiple Iranian locations, including missile storage facilities and launch infrastructure. Around 2:30 a.m. local time, Israeli air defenses intercepted incoming Iranian missiles, with explosions visible over Tel Aviv and sirens sounding across the city and the West Bank.

Israeli officials said five ballistic missiles were launched by Iran, but there were no immediate reports of casualties. Debris from intercepted missiles sparked a fire on a residential building in central Israel.

  Rising Death Toll

Since Israel began its air campaign on June 13—citing Iran’s alleged progress toward nuclear weapon capability—Iran claims 639 people have been killed, including senior military and nuclear scientists, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful.

In retaliation, Iranian missile strikes have killed 24 civilians in Israel, according to Israeli authorities. These figures could not be independently verified by Reuters.

  No Room for Talks, Says Iran

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated that negotiations with the U.S. would not resume unless Israeli attacks stopped. Despite this, he traveled to Geneva for talks with European officials, though those discussions produced little movement.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran may consider limitations on uranium enrichment, but it would reject any proposal to end enrichment entirely, especially while under attack.

  Trump Comments and U.S. Position

Former U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking from Morristown, New Jersey, said he believed Iran could obtain a nuclear weapon within weeks or months. He criticized his intelligence chief, Tulsi Gabbard, for suggesting otherwise and added that he would decide within two weeks whether the U.S. would join the conflict on Israel’s side.

Trump said he wouldn’t pressure Israel to halt airstrikes for the sake of diplomacy, calling such efforts unlikely to succeed. “Iran doesn’t want to talk to Europe. They want to talk to us,” he said.

  Global Reactions and UN Involvement

At the United Nations, Israel’s representative insisted attacks would continue until Iran’s nuclear threat is eliminated. Iran’s envoy urged the Security Council to take action, while Russia and China called for immediate de-escalation.

Meanwhile, hundreds of U.S. citizens have evacuated Iran amid the escalating conflict, according to a State Department report.

Israel claimed further strikes on Friday, targeting military sites and research facilities in Tehran allegedly tied to nuclear development.

As violence escalates, prospects for diplomacy appear dim, with both sides hardening their positions and regional stability increasingly at risk.

Faith Kegh

Content & Editorial Manager – Leads the creation, review, and publication of high-quality news and media content. She ensures that all editorial work reflects the organization’s standards of accuracy, professionalism, and relevance, while also engaging and informing the audience.

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