Summary so far
If you are just joining us, there have been major developments over the last few hours, with the US launching a surprise bombing attack on three Iranian nuclear facilities. The action was praised by Israel, and condemned by Iran and its allies. Iran soon launched missiles at Israel, who then fired back with their own air raids on Iranian targets.
You can catch up on the key details below.
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Donald Trump announced on Saturday the US had successfully completed strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran, and claimed that key enrichment facilities there had been “totally and completely obliterated”. The sites struck were Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.
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Iranian officials downplayed the claim, saying there was no danger to the residents living near the nuclear facilities hit by US strikes, according to Iranian state media. Quoting the Crisis Management Headquarters in the province of Qom, where the Fordow facility is located, the IRNA news service said “there is no danger to the people of Qom and the surrounding area”. Al Jazeera reported earlier that another official said Fordow has “long been evacuated and has not suffered any irreversible damage”.
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The International Atomic Energy Agency says there is currently no increase in off-site radiation levels at the three nuclear sites hit by US strikes. Saudi Arabia’s Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority has said no radioactive effects have been detected in Gulf states.
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Trump said Iran must now make peace, adding: “If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier. For 40 years, Iran has been saying death to America, death to Israel.” He said there were “many targets left” in the country for the US to hit. He later warned that any retaliation by Tehran against the US would be met with “force far greater than what was witnessed tonight”.
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He praised Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying they “worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before”, and gone a long way towards “erasing this horrible threat to Israel”.
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Iran’s foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, said Iran “reserved all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people” against the “outrageous” attack which he said would have “everlasting consequences”.
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A Yemeni Houthi official said a response by the group to the US strikes on Iran were “only a matter of time” and that the ceasefire agreement made with the US was before Trump decided to bomb the Iranian nuclear facilities.
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Hours after the attack on its nuclear facilities, Iran launched waves of missiles at Israel. Sirens were reported in north and central Israel, reportedly hitting some sites including in Tel Aviv and Haifa, and injuring at least 10 people according to Israeli rescue services.
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Netanyahu praised the US attack, saying that the “awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history”. The Israeli prime minister said in a video address, the US “has done what no other country on Earth could do”.
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United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday branded the US strikes on Iran as a “dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security.” He added: “There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world.”
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British prime minister Keir Starmer has urged Iran to return to the negotiating table and said that stability in the region remained a priority.
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The Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation called the US attack “a barbaric act that violated international law, especially the nuclear non-proliferation treaty”.
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The decision to directly involve the US comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country’s air defences and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. Iran has retaliated with strikes against Israel.Israel launched the attacks on Iran saying that it wanted to remove any chance of Tehran developing nuclear weapons. Iran has argued that its nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes.
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Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian had warned earlier on Saturday of a “more devastating” retaliation should Israel’s nine-day bombing campaign continue, saying the Islamic republic would not halt its nuclear program “under any circumstances.”
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Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Wednesday that US strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will “result in irreparable damage for them”.
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The attack has divided opinions among US lawmakers. Most – but not all – Republicans have supported Trump’s action, while most – but again, not all – Democrats have condemned it. Some Democrats have called for the War Powers act to be enforced against Trump and his “unconstitutional” act taken unilaterally without Congress approval.
Key events
Angelique Chrisafis
More reaction from Europe, as the French foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, said France had learned of the US strikes with “concern”.
France “did not take part in these strikes or the planning of them,” he said.
France urged “restraint from all parties to avoid any escalation that could lead to an escalation of the conflict.”
Barrot said negotiations were the way forward for a lasting solution.
Iran’s foreign minister to meet Putin on Monday
Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said he will fly to Moscow on Sunday to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Araghchi said he would be looking to meet Putin on Monday, according to Reuters.
He said the US had shown it had no respect for international law, and had crossed a “very big red line” by attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“They only understand the language of threat and force,” he said.
It comes as the Kremlin said there were no plans for Putin to speak to US president Donald Trump after the attacks.
Speaking during a visit to Turkey, Araghchi said Tehran reserved all options to defend its “security, interest and people”. The country’s armed forces are on full alert, he told reporters.
“Wait for our response first. When aggression ends, then we can decide,” he added.
More reaction from the Gulf, as the United Arab Emirates has told all sides to stop escalating the conflict or else there would be a risk of more instability.
In a statement from the Foreign Ministry, it warned countries should “avoid serious repercussions” in the region.
It warned that such actions could lead the region to “new levels of instability,”
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the buildings targeted at Isfahan contained either no nuclear material or low levels of enriched uranium.
Reuters reports comments that any radioactive contamination is limited to the buildings that were damaged or already destroyed.
The IAEA said six buildings were hit, along with four that had been previously targeted. One of the buildings that had been attacked was a fuel rod production facility, it added.
“The facilities targeted today either contained no nuclear material or small quantities of natural or low enriched uranium, meaning any radioactive contamination is limited to the buildings that were damaged or destroyed,” the IAEA said.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said its attacks on Israel will continue, as it said it will respond to the US airstrikes overnight.
In comments reported by Reuters, it said US bases in the Middle East are a “point of vulnerability”.
It said the US had placed itself directly “at the front line of aggression” by attacking nuclear facilities that Iran claims are peaceful. The IRGC said the program cannot be destroyed by an attack.
The statement added the US cannot escape consequences of its airstrikes, and said Iran would not be intimidated by Israel or the US, terming them “criminal gangs ruling the White House and Tel Aviv”.
The IRGC said its operations will be targeted against Israeli infrastructure, strategic centres and interests.
UK to organise Israel repatriation flight
Jessica Elgot
The UK will organise a repatriation flight out of Israel next week for British nationals, the Foreign Office has confirmed, inviting UK citizens and dependants to register their details on a booking portal.
Further flights will be considered depending on demand, the FCO said, taking into account the security situation.
An FCDO spokesperson said: “This is a perilous and volatile moment for the Middle East.
“The safety of British Nationals in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories continues to be our utmost priority – that’s why the UK government is preparing flights to help those wanting to leave.
“Working closely with the Israeli authorities, our staff are continuing to work at pace to assist British Nationals on the ground and ensure they receive the support they need”.
British nationals who have already completed their details on the FCDO’s Register Your Presence portal will get a link to the booking portal. Those with greatest need will be prioritised for flights, the FCDO said, with non-British immediate family members travelling with British nationals also eligible as long as all have valid visas or permission to enter or remain in the UK.
Those eligible for the flights will be expected to pay for their seat – and payment will be taken on registration via the flight booking form. The FCDO said it was also possible to return to the UK on commercial flights from Egypt and Jordan, entering those countries via international land border crossings which remain open.
US and Israel have ‘blown up’ diplomacy, says Iran’s foreign minister
Iran’s foreign minister said Israel and the US have “blown up” diplomacy with their airstrikes in recent weeks.
Seyed Abbas Araghchi responded to calls from the UK and EU for Iran to “return” to the negotiating table, by saying Iran had never left it, nor “blew [it] up”.
In a post on X, he said: “Last week, we were in negotiations with the US when Israel decided to blow up that diplomacy.
“This week, we held talks with the E3/EU when the US decided to blow up that diplomacy. What conclusion would you draw?
“To Britain and the EU High Rep, it is Iran which must “return” to the table. But how can Iran return to something it never left, let alone blew up?”
Israel recovers bodies of two hostages and soldier from Gaza
William Christou
Israel has announced that it has recovered the bodies of two hostages and one soldier from Gaza on Sunday, amid its ongoing war with Iran.
The Israeli military said that it recovered the remains of hostages 71-year-old Ofra Keidar, 21-year-old Yonatan Samerano and 19-year-old staff sergeant Shay Levinson in an operation in Gaza on Saturday.
The hostage families forum said in a statement that the return of the bodies “provides some comfort to the families who have waited in agony, uncertainty, and doubt for 625 days.”
The group further urged the Israeli government to return the remaining 50 hostages from Gaza, which it said was the “key to achieving complete victory.”
The return of the hostages came as some of the families feared that Israel’s war with Iran which started on 13 June would distract from efforts to return hostages. Hamas-led miltiants took 251 hostages during its 7 October 2023 attack in Israel, as well as killed 1,200 people. Of the remaining hostages, Israel believes 30 to be dead.
Some families of the hostages protested against the Israeli government’s resumption of the war in Gaza in March and have said that a ceasefire is the only way to safely recover the remaining hostages.
Fighting resumed in Gaza in March after Israel declined to move to a second phase of an agreed-upon ceasefire which could have led to a permanent end to the war.
As Israel fought with Iran, it continued its operations in Gaza, which has killed more than 55,000 Palestinians, most of which are women and children, over the last 20 months.
Over the last two weeks, the Israeli military has shot and killed crowds of people desperate for aid in Gaza on an almost daily-basis. In one instance last Tuesday, Israeli tanks fired into crowds trying to get aid from trucks, killing at least 59 people. Many Gazans fear that the war with Iran has shifted media attention away from the war there and would lead to a further stalling in ceasefire efforts.
In a post on X, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Together with all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the dear families, and share in their deep sorrow. “
He added: “The campaign to return the kidnapped continues continuously and is taking place in parallel with the campaign against Iran.
“We will not rest until we bring all our captives home – both the living and the dead.”
Iran’s nuclear programme ‘substantially’ reduced by strikes – Israeli president
Israel’s president Isaac Herzog has told the BBC Iran’s nuclear programme has been hit “substantially”.
Herzog told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg Show he did not know whether Iran’s nuclear capabilities had been destroyed completely.
However, he said: “It’s quite clear to me that the Iranian nuclear programme has been hit substantially”.
Herzog said he did not know the US was going to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, and added Israel would continue to do “whatever it takes to defend ourselves against missiles”.
Gulf states which are allies of the US are responding after the US attack on Iran.
Bahrain, which is home to a US military base, urged people to only use main roads when necessary to “allow relevant authorities to use roads efficiently”.
Meanwhile Kuwait’s finance ministry said it has set up shelters in government ministries. The country also has US bases. The shelters can accommodate about 900 people, it said in a statement posted on X.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has said the crisis in Iran risk “engulfing the region and world in war”.
Its president Mirjana Spoljaric said: “The intensification and spread of major military operations in the Middle East risk engulfing the region – and the world – in a war with irreversible consequences.”
She added that civilians should not be targeted and medics should be able to carry out their duties safely.
Spoljaric said delegations in Iran and Israel are mobilising teams and supplies. However, she added: “No humanitarian response can substitute for political will to prioritise peace, stability and human life.”
President of the European Council António Costa has joined the widespread calls for calm after the strikes by the US on Iran.
Costa, in a post on X, said he was “deeply alarmed” after the overnight bombing.
He said: “I call on all parties to show restraint and respect for international law and nuclear safety.
“Diplomacy remains the only way to bring peace and security to the Middle East region. Too many civilians will once again be the victims of a further escalation.
“The EU will continue engaging with the parties and our partners to find a peaceful solution at the negotiating table.”
UK did not take part in US strikes on Iran, minister confirms
UK business secretary Jonathan Reynolds has said the British government was aware of the US’ plans to launch airstrikes on Iran, but did not take part.
Speaking to the broadcaster Sky News on Sunday morning, he said the UK did not get a request by the US to use its Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean.
Reynolds said: “We support the prevention of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon. We had proposed a diplomatic course of action, as other European countries had done, the Iraians had rejected that.
“I know people will be waking up this morning, and they’ll be worried. They’ll want to know what this means, and I do want to give them reassurance that whilst the British government, the UK has not been involved in these attacks, we have been making extensive preparations for all eventualities, including how we look after British nationals in the region and how we get them out, and the assets we have in the region to protect British infrastructure, British bases, British personnel, if we need to do that.”
He added: “I can’t tell you exactly when we did know but we were informed, as you might expect, by a key ally, of this action.”
More reaction is coming in from the Middle East to the US’ strikes on Iran overnight.
Saudi Arabia has expressed its “great concern” according to a statement posted on X. Its foreign ministry posted on X that it wanted a “political solution to end the crisis”, Reuters reported.
Meanwhile Oman said the US targeting of Iran threatened to “widen the war”, and is a violation of international law, according to state media. Oman had been mediating nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran.
Qatar said it “deplores deterioration” and “dangerous tensions” after the US bombing would lead to “catastrophic repercussions” on regional and international levels, its foreign ministry posted on X.
The head of Iran’s atomic energy organisation, Mohammad Eslami, has written to the International Atomic Energy Agency asking for an investigation into the US attacks on Iran.
Eslami said the “illegal action” should be examined and said the IAEA’s head Rafael Grossi should stop his “inaction”, condemn US strikes, and take “appropriate” measures.
Reuters reports Eslami has also told Grossi that Iran had taken necessary measures to defend its “sovereign rights” and “will pursue appropriate legal measures”.
Israel said it has attacked two Iranian fighter jets overnight, as part of a range of operations against Iranian military sites.
In a post by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) on X, it said dozens of locations were targeted in central Iran.
The two F5 Iranian fighter jets were hit at the Dezful airport.
The IDF added eight launchers were destroyed in operations, as well as a military site containing “components for the production of explosives”.
It added the air force: “Attacked military infrastructure at the airport in Isfahan, in order to prevent the Iranian air force from using military infrastructure at the site”.
Julian Borger
Ness Ziona, a town to the south-east of Tel Aviv was hit by an Iranian missile at about 8am this morning.
The missile destroyed or damaged about a dozen two-storey homes in a residential area, but there were no serious injuries.
Adam Hezy of the fire department from the neighbouring town of Rehovot, said he and his colleagues had rescued 20 people who had survived the blast inside their reinforced secure rooms, which are compulsory in modern Israeli homes.
Clayton Rucaly, a Brazilian who had arrived in the neighbourhood just seven months ago, was in a nearby shelter when the missile fell. “This one was so close, we were all scared it had hit our homes,” he said.
Asked what he thought about the US intervention in the war, Rudely said it was hard not to be ambivalent after the missile strike.
“In part, I feel like it’s necessary,” Rucaly said. “It seems like it’s going to be good for Israel, because the war can end now perhaps, especially with the help of the US,” he said, but added there is apprehension over the possible Iranian response.
“There is a kind of double fear: about what can happen to us now.”
EU’s Kallas calls for negotiations
EU foreign ministers will meet on Monday to discuss the US strikes on Iran.
The EU’s foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas posted on X that Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear bomb, and urged calm.
Kallas, who is also a vice-president of the European Commission said: “Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, as it would be a threat to international security.
“I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation.
“EU foreign ministers will discuss the situation tomorrow.”
Highly enriched uranium ‘moved from Fordow’, Iranian sources claim
Senior Iranian sources have told Reuters most of the highly enriched uranium at the Fordow site had been moved away before the US attack.
The news agency reported comments that the number of staff at the underground facility at Fordow had also been reduced to a minimum.
Fordow was the second enrichment site to be hit by the US, along with Natanz.