Khamenei 'cannot continue to exist', Israeli defence minister says after hospital strike
Follow the ongoing escalation in the conflict between Israel and Iran here
Summary
- Israel and Iran continue strikes for seventh day
- Israel's defence minister says Iran's supreme leader "can no longer be allowed to exist" after the Soroka hospital was hit during an Iranian missile attack, AFP and local media report
- Iranian state media reports that the missile strike targeted a military site next to the hospital in southern Israel, and not the facility itself - BBC Verify has analysed the footage
- Israel says 271 people have been injured across the country after Iran fired a barrage of missiles overnight
- In Iran, Israel's military says it targeted nuclear sites including the "inactive" Arak heavy water reactor and Natanz facility - there have been no reports of radiation threats or injuries overnight
- The attacks this morning come at a critical time, as Donald Trump considers the possibility of direct US involvement in Israel's campaign, writes Hugo Bachega
- Trump has reportedly approved plans to attack Iran, but has not made a final decision - Iran's supreme leader warned of "irreparable harm" if the US intervenes
9:31pm
Iran held direct talks with the US, diplomats say
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US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi have spoken by phone several times since Israel began its strikes on Iran last week in a bid to find a diplomatic end to the crisis, three diplomats told Reuters.
According to the diplomats, Araqchi said Tehran would not return to negotiations unless Israel stopped the attacks.
They said the talks included a brief discussion of a US proposal given to Iran at the end of May that aims to create a regional consortium that would enrich uranium outside of Iran, an offer Tehran has so far rejected.
This week's phone discussions were the most substantive direct talks since the two began negotiations in April.
On those occasions, in Oman and Italy, the two men exchanged brief words when they encountered each other after indirect talks were held.
US and Iranians officials did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the matter.
A regional diplomat close to Tehran said Araqchi had told Witkoff that Tehran "could show flexibility in the nuclear issue" if Washington pressured Israel to end the war.
While a European diplomat said: "Araqchi told Witkoff Iran was ready to come back to nuclear talks, but it could not if Israel continued its bombing."
Other than brief encounters after five rounds of indirect talks since April to discuss Iran's decades-old nuclear dispute, Araqchi and Witkoff had not previously held direct contacts.
A second regional diplomat who spoke to Reuters said "the (first) call was initiated by Washington, which also proposed a new offer" to overcome the deadlock over clashing red lines.
8:13pm
Seventy-one injured in Soroka hospital attack, Israel's health ministry says
Israel's Ministry of Health says 271 people have been injured following strikes this morning, with 71 injured during the attack on Soroka hospital, reports BBC.
"Most of the slightly injured were injured on the way to the protected area or suffered panic attacks," the ministry says in its update on X.
On Tuesday, the Israeli prime minister's office said that Iranian missile strikes had killed at least 24 people and injured 592 others in Israel since the start of the conflict.
Iranian officials have not given an update on casualties today.
The country's health ministry said on Sunday that at least 224 people had been killed and more than 1,200 injured in Israeli air strikes since Friday, when the conflict began.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) - a Washington-based human rights organisation that has long tracked Iran - says 639 people have been killed in Iran since Friday last week.
7:42pm
Missiles have been launched at Israel from Iran: Israeli military
In a post on X, the Israeli military says it has identified that missiles were recently launched from Iran towards Israel, and its defence systems are working to intercept the threat.
It has also told the Israeli public to move to protected areas and remain there until further notice.
We will bring you more information as we get it.
7:11pm
Israel's partnership with Trump is 'incredible', Netanyahu say
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken to reporters from the site of the damaged hospital in the south of the country, reports BBC.
He praises Israel's partnership with Donald Trump, which he calls "incredible", adding that he speaks to the US president "almost every day".
"I think his resolve, his determination, and his clarity, when he says Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and for that to take place Iran cannot enrich uranium," he says.
"He gave them the chance to do it through negotiations, they strung him along. You don't string along Donald Trump."
Asked about potential US involvement in the conflict, Netanyahu says: "It's a decision for the president to make but they're already helping a lot".
6:39pm
A strike on Iran's Bushehr plant could cause Chernobyl-style catastrophe, Russia warns
A strike on Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant could lead to a Chernobyl-style catastrophe, the head of Russia's nuclear energy corporation warned on Thursday.
Earlier, an Israeli military spokesperson said Israel had struck Bushehr, but a spokesperson later said it was a mistake to have said this. He said he could neither confirm nor deny that the Bushehr site on the coast of the Gulf had been hit, reports Reuters.
Bushehr is Iran's only operating nuclear power plant and was built by Russia.
The head of Russia's state corporation Rosatom said the situation around the plant was fraught with risk.
"If there is a strike on the operational first power unit, it will be a catastrophe comparable to Chernobyl," the state RIA news agency cited Alexei Likhachev as saying.
Likhachev was referring to the world's worst nuclear disaster in 1986, when a reactor exploded at Chernobyl in Soviet Ukraine. U.N. agencies have estimated a death toll of some 4,000 people as a result of radiation exposure from the disaster.
President Vladimir Putin told journalists in the early hours of Thursday that Israel had promised Russia that Moscow's workers - who are building more nuclear facilities at the Bushehr site - would be safe.
Russia has evacuated some of its specialists from Bushehr, Likhachev said, but the core workforce - which Putin said numbered hundreds of people - remained on site.
An attack on Bushehr would be "beyond... evil," he added.
5:56pm
Iran's leader urges Iranians to 'continue with strength'
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has told the Iranian people that "if the enemy senses that you fear them, they won't let go of you".
In a post on X, he says: "Continue the very behaviour that you have had up to this day; continue this behaviour with strength."
5:29pm
Israeli official says 'it was a mistake' to say Bushehr was hit
An Israeli military official has now said "it was a mistake" for a military spokesperson to have said earlier in the day that Israel had struck the Bushehr nuclear site in Iran.
The official would only confirm that Israel had hit the Natanz, Isfahan and Arak nuclear sites in Iran, reports Reuters.
Pressed further on Bushehr, the official said he could neither confirm or deny that Israel had struck the location, where Iran has a reactor.
Stay with us for more as we get it.
5:11pm
Russia urges Israel to stop attacks on Bushehr plant
The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday urged Israel to immediately halt air attacks on the Bushehr nuclear plant in Iran where Russian specialists work.
Bushehr, Iran's only operating nuclear power plant, uses Russian fuel that Russia then takes back when it is spent in order to reduce nuclear proliferation risk, reports Reuters.
Maria Zakharova, the ministry's spokeswoman, repeated a Russian warning to the US not to get involved militarily in the Israel-Iran conflict, saying this would have unpredictable and negative consequences.
4:40pm
Israel's defence minister names 'eliminating' Iran supreme leader as war goal
In the aftermath of Iran's attack on Be'er Sheva, which damaged Soroka Hospital, Israel's Defence Minister Katz has said that "eliminating" Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is one of Israel's war goals.
"A man like [Khamenei] has always aimed at destroying Israel through his agents. This man, who is willing to attack us, must not stay alive.
"This matter, the matter of stopping this man, eliminating him, is part of the campaign, and we now understand his role, because before, he was talking about the destruction of Israel," said Katz, reports Al Jazeera.
Israel has teased whether or not regime change in Iran is part of its war goals since it began its assault last week.
After Israel launched its attacks on Iran on Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Iranians in an English video, saying that he hoped the military operation would "clear the path for you to achieve your freedom".
On Tuesday, US President Trump said, referring to Khamenei, in a social media post, "We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now … Our patience is wearing thin."
4:20pm
Israeli military says it struck nuclear sites including Bushehr on Gulf coast
An Israeli military spokesperson said on Thursday that the military had struck nuclear sites in Bushehr, Isfahan, and Natanz, and continued to target additional facilities, reports Reuters.
Bushehr is Iran's only operating nuclear power plant, which sits on the Gulf coast.
4:00pm
Iran confirms meeting with European officials on Friday
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi confirmed on Thursday he would meet his British, French and German counterparts as well as the European Union's top diplomat on Friday in Geneva, Iranian state media reported.
Araqchi said the meeting had come at the request of the three European states.
On Wednesday, a German diplomatic source told Reuters the meeting had been agreed.
The ministers will first meet with the European Union's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, at Germany's permanent mission in Geneva.
They will then hold a joint meeting with the Iranian foreign minister, the source said.
The aim of the talks between Iran and the Europeans, which the German source said are taking place in coordination with the United States, is to persuade the Iranian side to firmly guarantee that it will use its nuclear programme solely for civilian purposes.
3:40pm
Israeli hospital director: Several wards completely demolished
Shlomi Kodesh, the director of the Soroka Medical Center in southern Israel, said there is extensive damage across the hospital.
Some 40 patients and staff were injured, mainly with light wounds, from broken glass and falling ceilings. The facility is currently closed except for emergency treatment as the structural damage to the building is assessed, reports Reuters.
"We don't know if buildings might collapse or wards might collapse," said Kodesh.
He added that patients will be transferred to other facilities. The patients currently in the hospital are elderly and cancer patients and people who need urgent medical care, he said.
The hospital, located about 40 km (25 miles) from Gaza, has treated Israeli soldiers wounded in Gaza in the past 20 months, according to Israeli media.
3:09pm
South Korea says 18 nationals evacuated from Iran
Eighteen South Korean nationals and two of their family members who are Iranian nationals were evacuated by land from Iran, South Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
2:30pm
Nuclear reactor attacked in Iran
Iranian missiles caused serious damage at four sites in central and southern Israel, including at the Soroka hospital, while Israeli forces are reported to have attacked Iran's Arak heavy water nuclear reactor.
2:09pm
Netanyahu says Iran launched missiles at a hospital in the Israeli city of Beersheba
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran also launched missiles at a civilian population in central Israel in a post on X.
"We will exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran," Netanyahu said.
Israeli emergency services said five people had been seriously injured in the attacks and dozens of others hurt in three separate locations.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it was targeting Israeli military and intelligence headquarters near the hospital.
In Iran, the ISNA news agency reported that an area near the heavy water facility of the Khondab nuclear facility was targeted by Israel.
A week of Israeli air and missile strikes against its major rival has wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command, damaged its nuclear capabilities and killed hundreds of people, while Iranian retaliatory strikes have killed at least two dozen civilians in Israel.
1:50pm
Iranian official warns US against involvement in conflict
Iran's deputy foreign minister warned against any direct US involvement in the conflict between Israel and Iran, saying Iran had "all the necessary options on the table," in comments reported by Iranian state media on Thursday.
"If the US wants to actively intervene in support of Israel, Iran will have no other option but to use its tools to teach aggressors a lesson and defend itself ... our military decision-makers have all necessary options on the table," Kazem Gharibabadi said, according to state media.
"Our recommendation to the US is to at least stand by if they do not wish to stop Israel's aggression," he said.
1:30pm
'All necessary options on the table', warns Iran's deputy FM
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has issued another warning to the US against direct military intervention.
In comments carried by Reuters news agency, Gharibabadi said Iran does not want the conflict to expand, but is ready to act and "teach aggressors a lesson" if necessary, reports Al Jazeera.
Iran's military decision-makers have "all necessary options on the table", he said.
1:15pm
Netanyahu says Iran will pay 'heavy price' for missile attack
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Iran will "pay a heavy price" after its missile attack damaged Israel's Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva.
"This morning, Iran's terrorist dictators fired missiles at Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva and at civilians in the centre of the country," Netanyahu wrote in a post on X. "We will make the tyrants in Tehran pay a heavy price."
1:10pm
Iran's latest attacks have struck at 'heart' of Israel
In Israel, there was a sense that its government "might be getting things under control", but Iran's latest attacks have struck at the "heart" of the country, says Ori Goldberg, an Israeli political commentator.
While the missiles hit the entire country, Israeli authorities are focusing on the hospital which was hit, Soroka hospital in the country's south, trying to send a "message that the Iranians target hospitals", Goldberg told Al Jazeera, speaking from Tel Aviv.
"Of course, Israelis target hospitals as well. It's important to mention that there really are very sensitive installations and headquarters very near to the hospital because Israel places its military headquarters in the midst of civilian neighbourhoods and towns," he added.
Goldberg explained that information about attacks is not readily accessible either.
"You have to remember that just as Al Jazeera is censored and access to images is censored by Israeli authorities … Israeli citizens don't get to see much on our official media either," Goldberg said.
"We also operate under heavy censorship, so there are basically rumours and reports being released gradually, but it's clear that the Iranians struck and struck in important and significant places."
1:05pm
Israel's injury toll rises to 47
The number of people injured from Iran's latest missile barrage in Israel is now 47, with three in serious condition and two in moderate condition, according to Israel's emergency rescue service.
Eighteen more people have been injured while rushing to shelters, said the emergency service.
1:00pm
Israeli officials express outrage over attack damaging Soroka hospital
More Israeli officials have slammed an Iranian attack that caused damage to one of Israel's largest hospitals.
"Deliberate. Criminal. Civilian target," said Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel, as she shared footage on social media of patients and staff at Soroka hospital, apparently fleeing the heavily damaged and smoke-filled facility. "The world must speak out."
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said that vulnerable hospital patients were "targets of Iran's missile attacks on Israeli civilians".
"In moments like these, we are reminded of what's truly at stake, and the values we are defending," he wrote on social media.
As we reported earlier, Iran's official IRNA news agency claims that an Israeli military command and intelligence site located near the hospital was the "main target" of this morning's missile attack.
12:50pm
Israel's military confirms attacking Arak reactor
In its latest update, Israel's military says its fighter jets attacked dozens of sites across Iran overnight, including the Arak heavy water nuclear reactor.
The military claims it specifically targeted "the structure of the reactor's core seal, which is a key component in plutonium production".
It also claims it hit what it called a "nuclear weapons development site" in Natanz and numerous factories that manufacture components needed for ballistic missiles.
12:35pm
Israeli military targets nuclear sites in Iran's Natanz and Arak overnight
The Israeli military said on Thursday it had targeted the nuclear reactor in the area of Arak in Iran overnight and struck what it called a nuclear weapons development site in the area of Natanz, says Reuters.
Among its nuclear sites, Iran had a partially built heavy-water research reactor originally called Arak and now Khondab.
At Natanz, which has been previously struck during Israel's six-day-old aerial war with Iran, Iran built a complex at the heart of its nuclear programme that included two enrichment plants.
12:20pm
More than 20 lightly injured by Ramat Gan missile strike
Earlier, we reported that an Iranian missile had struck the Ramat Gan area of Tel Aviv district.
The Times of Israel now reports that at least 20 people have been "lightly injured" in that strike.
As we reported earlier, the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange building is reportedly among the buildings damaged in the latest Iranian barrage.
12:10pm
Iran crossed a 'red line' targeting Soroka hospital: Israeli health minister
Israeli Health Minister Uriel Buso said that Iran has crossed a red line by targeting Soroka hospital in Be'er Sheva in the south of the country with a missile.
"This is a war crime committed by the Iranian regime," Buso was cited as saying by Israel's Army Radio.
Israeli media has reported damage to the hospital following the latest Iranian missile attack.
12:00pm
At least 30 injured in Israel after massive missile strike
Our correspondent in Amman, Jordan, Nour Odeh, says that among the wounded, two are in a critical condition.
As we've been reporting, Iranian missiles hit the city of Be'er Sheva in southern Israel, damaging Soroka hospital, as well as in Tel Aviv.
Odeh said that damage to the hospital was the result of a blast wave, not a direct missile hit, corroborating claims by Iranian state media that the target of the attack was a "sensitive" site adjacent to the hospital, says Al Jazeera.
A spokesperson for Israel's ambulance service has told Israeli media that there is no leak of dangerous materials from the hospital, addressing circulating rumours to that effect.
The Israeli stock exchange building in Tel Aviv was also damaged in the strikes, Odeh added.
11:40am
US embassy in Qatar temporarily limits airbase access
The US embassy in Qatar has curbed access to the Al Udeid Air Base for its personnel, urging greater vigilance by US citizens in "an abundance of caution" amid regional hostilities.
The US base is its largest such military facility in the Middle East.
This comes as Trump is mulling whether or not to join Israel in its attacks on Iran, a move which Iran has said would trigger attacks on US assets in the region.
11:35am
Iranian state media: Strikes targeted Israeli army, intelligence facility
IRNA, the Islamic Republic News Agency, has said on Telegram that the "main target" of this morning's missile attack "was the large [Israeli army] Command and Intelligence (IDF C4I) headquarters and the military intelligence camp in the Gav-Yam Technology Park".
It said that this facility is located next to Soroka hospital in Be'er Sheva.
IRNA claimed that the hospital only suffered minor damage from the shockwave resulting from the missile strike.
"The military infrastructure was a precise and direct target," it said.
11:25am
Heavy damage reported at four sites in Israel after Iran missile attack
There were four impact sites. Three in central Israel, in the Gush Dan area as it is called. So that is the larger Tel Aviv area.
There was Heavy damage sustained to some buildings. One in Holon is reported to have collapsed. There was also an impact site … near Soroka hospital.
This is a very large hospital in Israel. It receives, right now in the context of the war on Gaza, a lot of injured soldiers.
The hospital itself, that we know, was not the target. It was a building next to it that was struck. But it sustained heavy damage and medical crews are inviting the public not to approach the impact site.
They are still going through the buildings and the rubble to make sure that nobody is stuck under the debris.
Up to 25 people have been injured and these are very initial numbers.
11:21am
Israel bombs near Khondab heavy water facility: Iranian media
An area near the heavy-water research reactor in Khondab, part of Iran's nuclear programme, was hit by Israel, the Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA) reports.
Officials announced the facility was evacuated prior to the attack and there is no radiation risk, ISNA added.
The research reactor was partially built and previously known as Arak, with Tehran informing the UN nuclear watchdog that it plans to operate the facility next year.
11:20am
Roof collapses at Soroka Hospital after missile strike: Report
As we reported a short while ago, an Iranian missile has struck the Soroka Hospital in the city of Be'er Sheva in southern Israel.
Photos published by the Times of Israel newspaper shows the extent of the damage at the hospital, with journalist Emanuel Fabian reporting that a roof has collapsed at the facility due to the missile strike.
10:50
Israeli army demolishes West Bank home of shooting attack suspect
The Israeli military has demolished the home of a Palestinian man, Samer Hussein, in the occupied West Bank village of Einabus, south of Nablus.
In a post on X, the Israeli military said Hussein was a Hamas member who "carried out a shooting attack at the Gitti Avissar intersection on November 29, 2024".
Hussein injured five Israeli civilians and four soldiers when he "fired at a bus and the bus stop where several soldiers were standing", according to the Israeli military. Hussein was killed at the scene.
"The security establishment, with the backing of legal authorities, decided to demolish the terrorist's home as part of the deterrence policy, according to which anyone who carries out an unusual terrorist attack, even if no one is killed, will have his home demolished," the post said.
10:48am
Israel's Soroka hospital damaged in missile attack: Report
Israeli media has reported damage to the Soroka hospital in Be'er Sheva in southern Israel following the latest Iranian missile attack.
Missiles were also reported to have come down in Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan to the east, Holon to the south.
We will bring you more information as details emerge.
10:41am
Israel attacks Iran's Arak heavy-water nuclear reactor: Report
The Reuters news agency, citing Iranian state television, reports that the Arak heavy-water reactor has been attacked in Iran.
Earlier, the Israeli military issued threats for people living in the vicinity of the reactor to evacuate immediately.
We will bring you more on this attack as information emerges.
10:40am
Israeli military says it killed Hezbollah commander in Lebanon
Israeli forces have killed Yassin Abdel Moneim Ezzedine, an artillery commander in Hezbollah's Litani sector, according to the Israeli military's Arabic language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee.
Adraee said Ezzedine had "advanced numerous shooting plots towards Israel and has been involved in attempts to rebuild Hezbollah's artillery forces".
Hezbollah is yet to comment on Ezzedine's alleged killing.
10:31am
Explosions heard over Jerusalem, Tel Aviv as Iran missiles target Israel
Several explosions have been heard over both cities as air alerts were activated from central to northern Israel as a new wave of Iranian missiles targeted the country.
Israeli media are reporting at least four missile impact sites in Israel. There were no further details.
10:20am
Shell CEO says firm is being 'very careful' with shipping in the Middle East
Wael Sawan, CEO of oil and gas company Shell, has said the firm is being "very careful" with shipping through the Middle East given the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, says Al Jazeera.
"The escalation in tensions over the last few days, in essence, has added to what has already been significant uncertainty in the region," he told an industry conference in Tokyo.
"We're being very careful with, for example, our shipping in the region, just to make sure that we do not take any unnecessary risks," Sawan added.
Sawan said electronic interference was disrupting commercial ship navigation systems, while he cautioned that any disruption to the Strait of Hormuz waterway, through which about 20 percent of the world's oil and fuel flows, would have major consequences.
"The Strait of Hormuz is, at the end of the day, the artery through which the world's energy flows, and if that artery is blocked, for whatever reason, it'll have a huge impact on global trade," he said.
10:15am
Air attack sirens sound in Israel as missiles fired from Iran
Israel's military said missile launches have been detected from Iran and people should follow the security protocols of the Home Front Command.
The military said the Israeli air force is working to intercept the incoming missiles but the country's defences are "not airtight".
8:35am
Protesters in New York rally against Israel's attacks on Iran
We've been reporting on a protest outside the White House where demonstrators rallied against Israel's attacks on Iran and urged the US not to get involved in the conflict.
We are now getting reports of a similar protest in New York City.
According to videos posted online by activists, hundreds of people marched in Manhattan, holding signs condemning US threats to strike Iran as well as its support for Israel's war on Gaza.
The placards read, "Hands off Iran now" and "Stop funding genocide".
8:15am
Top Republican senator calls for US strike on Iran's Fordow facility
Senator Lindsey Graham is urging Trump to "go all in" and attack Iran's Fordow nuclear site, which is dug deep into a mountain in central Iran.
"Israel dominates the skies and has destroyed Iran's military and scientific leadership. They have also done great damage to Iran's nuclear infrastructure. However the one site left standing – the deep underground Fordow site – must be dealt with to achieve the common objective of making sure Iran's nuclear enrichment program ends," Graham wrote.
"The capabilities possessed by the United States for such a deep underground attack are unique to us and us alone," he wrote, adding, "Finish the job."
The Fordow site is located an estimated 80 metres (260 feet) under rock and soil, and analysts say only the US has the bunker-busting bombs that could penetrate the mountain and cause damage to the facility.
It's important to note that Iran has denied seeking a nuclear weapon, and the UN nuclear agency has said it had no indication that the country was building one.
9:05am
Iranian foreign minister scheduled to meet European counterparts in Geneva
We did hear President Trump say during his media briefing that he was keen on maintaining talks about ending Iran's nuclear programme.
The possibility of Iranians coming to the White House was floated. Obviously, no conformation whatsoever of such a statement.
However, there is a tangible thing happening on Friday and that is European foreign ministers will be meeting in Geneva with the Iranian foreign minister.
The leaders of France, Germany and Britain will be meeting the Iranian foreign minister, and this, we are told, is a meeting being coordinated by the United States … which could possibly be a window for President Trump to continue to push for some form of agreement to come out of Iran.
The European foreign ministers are seeking assurances from Iran that its nuclear development will remain a peaceful one and that there is no intent to create a nuclear weapon.
And, as we've heard, the US will be playing a role, albeit indirect, in those particular discussions.
8:55
US preparing for 'possible strike on Iran in coming days': Report
As Trump keeps the world guessing about US military intervention in Israel's attacks against Iran, more reports are emerging of preparations in Washington, DC, for such action.
Bloomberg News, citing anonymous sources, is reporting that senior US officials are "preparing for the possibility of a strike on Iran in the coming days". It says the development is a sign that Washington "is assembling the infrastructure to directly enter a conflict with Tehran".
The people said the situation is still evolving and could change, with some of them pointing to potential plans for a weekend strike.
"Top leaders at a handful of federal agencies have also begun getting ready for an attack, one person said," the report added.
There were no further details.
8:45am
Israeli evacuation threat targets area around Iran's Arak heavy-water nuclear reactor
The Associated Press (AP) news agency reports that the target of Israel's recent evacuation threat in the vicinity of Arak and Khondab cities is Iran's Arak heavy-water nuclear reactor.
According to AP, Iran had agreed under its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers to redesign the Arak facility to relieve proliferation concerns. Heavy water helps cool nuclear reactors, but it produces plutonium as a byproduct that can potentially be used in nuclear weapons.
Iran has said its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes, and Britain had previously been helping the Iranian government to redesign the Arak reactor to limit the amount of plutonium it produces, AP reports.
As part of negotiations around the 2015 deal, Iran agreed to sell off its heavy water to Western countries. Even the US purchased some 32 tonnes of heavy water for more than $8m in one deal, according to AP.
Israel's air strikes have already targeted Iran's nuclear site at Natanz, centrifuge workshops around Tehran and a nuclear site in Isfahan.
The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has urged Israel not to strike Iranian nuclear sites.
IAEA inspectors reportedly last visited Arak on May 14.
8:45am
Iran again extends airspace closure
The IRIB state broadcaster says Iranian authorities have extended the cancellation of takeoffs and landings of domestic and international flights until 2pm today (10:30 GMT).
Iran's airspace has been closed since Israel launched its attacks on Friday. Israel, too, has closed its airspace, says AlJazeera.
The closures have forced other governments to evacuate their citizens by land via neighbouring countries.
8:35am
More than 100 injured in aid seeker attack, casualties reported in north Gaza strike
We have been reporting on the Israeli military's attack tonight on aid seekers near the Netzarim Junction in central Gaza, which has killed at least 16 people, says Al Jazeera.
Citing medical sources at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital and al-Awda Hospital, our Al Jazeera Arabic colleagues now report that more than 100 Palestinians have also been injured in the attack.
In Gaza City's Zeitoun neighbourhood in northern Gaza, an unspecified number of Palestinians have also been killed and injured after Israeli forces bombed a home, according to Al Jazeera correspondents.
8:05am
Protesters rally against US involvement in Israel's attacks on Iran
As the Trump administration considers deeper involvement in Israel's war in Iran, these demonstrators have come out in front of the White House to urge the US not to get more involved.
They're demonstrating against the Israeli bombing of Iran, against the US involvement in the form of funding billions of dollars in military aid to Israel, and they're urging Trump not to get directly involved in the kinetic part of that war, says Al Jazeera.
There are already three aircraft carrier groups from the US in the Middle East. The demonstrators want to make sure those remain there for defensive purposes, not offensive purposes.
7:45
More than 80 percent of Jewish Israelis support war on Iran
Eighty-three percent of Jewish Israelis support the government's war on Iran.
Before Benjamin Netanyahu launched those missiles towards Iran on Friday, his government was under enormous pressure over the war in Gaza – internationally, because of the number of Palestinians the Israelis were killing in Gaza, and domestically, because the Israeli government wasn't getting the Israeli captives out of Gaza, says Al Jazeera.
But now the focus has moved for Netanyahu to Iran, taking the pressure off him.
People like Avigdor Lieberman, hawkish on the right, who quit his cabinet post in 2018, is now saying Netanyahu is doing the right thing.
Benny Gantz, who quit the cabinet last summer over the war in Gaza, now says on Iran there is no right or left – only right or wrong, and "we are right".
7:25am
Explosions reported in Iranian cities Tehran, Karaj
As we reported a short while ago, the Israeli military has announced that it is carrying out a new wave of attacks on Iran.
Strikes have been reported in the capital, Tehran, while explosions have also been heard near the city of Karaj, west of Tehran, according to a reporter on the ground with Lebanese news outlet Al Mayadeen.
The correspondent added that Iranian air defences are currently intercepting Israeli targets in the skies over Karaj and its outskirts.
7:15am
Israeli attacks on Iran kill at least 639, injure more than 1,320: Rights group
The Washington-based group Human Rights Activists said at least 639 people have been killed in Israeli attacks across Iran as the conflict enters its seventh day.
The group, which also provided detailed casualty figures during the 2022 antigovernment protests in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amin, said it had identified 263 civilians and 154 security force personnel among the total number of those killed so far in Israel's attacks.
Casualty figures were crosschecked with local reports in Iran against a network of sources developed in the country, the group said.
Iran has not given regular death toll figures during the ongoing intense attacks by Israel. Its last update put the death toll at 224 people killed and 1,277 others wounded in Israeli strikes.
7.07am
Israeli military says its beginning 'wave of attacks' in Iran
In a post on X, Israel's military said its "Air Force has now begun a wave of attacks in Tehran and other areas in Iran".
7:01am
Death toll rises again for Israeli attack on aid seekers in central Gaza
We have been reporting on an Israeli military attack targeting aid seekers near the Wadi Gaza Bridge, north of Nuseirat in central Gaza.
At least 14 Palestinians have now been confirmed killed in that attack, the Quds News Network and the Palestinian Information Center report.
6:35am
Concerns over nuclear 'contamination' amid rising civilian casualties from Israeli strikes
Al Jazeera's Tohid Asadi, reporting from Iran's capital, Tehran, said civilian casualties from Israeli attacks are mounting alongside concerns over radiological leaks from the bombing of nuclear sites.
"We've got reports about casualties, civilian casualties from day one, and we are now in day six of this escalated situation," Asadi said.
"Civilian casualties – women and children – are being killed as a result of this round of strikes by the Israelis. We have seen footage and reports coming from across the country. Here in Tehran, we've seen lots of civilian casualties," he said.
"Also, there was this concern about contamination as the Israelis continue to say and conduct strikes on the nuclear facilities of the country. Today we heard about two points being targeted: one in the eastern parts of Tehran and the other near Karaj city," he said.
"We see an already escalated situation," he added.
6:25am
Trump says decision on joining Israel's attack on Iran will be taken at 'last second'
We've had no indication on whether any decision was taken in that Situation Room meeting and what precisely was being discussed.
One must assume that the discussions are ongoing between Trump and his national security advisers. The basis of these discussions is what form of involvement the US should take in the days, weeks ahead in terms of that ongoing Israeli attack on Iran.
The US has a number of options or as President Trump says, he's been presented with all the options but no decision taken as yet.
We heard him say he wants to wait until the last second before taking a decision and that decision we still don't know what it will be or when it will be taken.
6:21am
Israeli military attacks Palestinian aid seekers in central Gaza
The Israeli military has attacked Palestinians waiting to receive aid near the Wadi Gaza Bridge, north of Nuseirat in central Gaza, killing and injuring several people, our Al Jazeera Arabic colleagues report.
At least 11 people have been killed in the attack, according to the Quds News Network.
6:15am
Putin says he 'doesn't even want to discuss' potential Khamenei assassination
When asked by a reporter about the potential assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei by Israel or the US, the Russian president said, "I do not even want to discuss this possibility. I do not want to."
"I hear all this, but I don't even want to discuss it," he reiterated, as he spoke on the sidelines of an economic forum in the Russian city of St Petersburg on Wednesday, reports Al Jazeera.
Putin also said he believed a peaceful "solution can be found" to the conflict, as he called for parties to ensure Iran's interests in pursuing "peaceful nuclear activities", as well as ensure the "unconditional security of the Jewish state".
The Russian leader said the Iranian–Russian Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, signed in January and ratified on June 15, makes no provisions for defence cooperation, adding that Iran had not raised the issue, so there's "nothing to discuss".
"We once offered our Iranian friends to work in the field of air defence systems, but our partners didn't show much interest then, and that's it. As for the agreement you mentioned about the strategic partnership, there are no articles related to the defence sphere," he said.
6:10am
UN chief urges 'immediate' ceasefire in Israel-Iran war
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said he is "profoundly alarmed" by developments in the unfolding conflict between Israel and Iran and called for "immediate deescalation leading to a ceasefire".
In a statement read by his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric on Wednesday, Guterres urged restraint and diplomacy as he warned against any "additional military interventions".
06:07am
US could drop multiple 'bunker busters' to destroy Fordo
As Trump weighs a US strike on Fordo, an underground uranium enrichment facility in Iran, a former US National Security Council Chief of Staff has described to BBC Newsnight how the US could destroy it.
Fred Fleitz says there would be no need for troops on the ground and the US can drop a series of "bunker-buster" bombs on the underground plant.
"My understanding with an administration source is... multiple bunker busters will cause the mountain to collapse on itself... There will be nothing left," he said.
Fleitz added that the bombs would do enormous damage to "penetrate" the tunnels that house centrifuges to enrich uranium.
05:41am
Trump approved Iran attack plans, but no final decision made – US media
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday night approved plans to attack Iran, but he has not made a final decision on whether to strike the country, the BBC's US partner CBS reports.
Trump held off on initiating strikes in case Iran agreed to abandon its nuclear program, a senior intelligence source told CBS.
The news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
On Wednesday, Trump said, "I may do it, I may not do it", when asked a question about US involvement in Iran.
Trump is weighing a US strike on Fordo, an underground uranium enrichment facility in Iran, CBS earlier reported.
05:13am
European and Iranian ministers meeting is last-ditch effort to contain this conflict
Mediation in such a volatile conflict requires both the motivation and the leverage to succeed. It now appears that Tehran sees that potential in Europe. A resolution could offer a rare win-win, for both Tehran and Brussels.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said just hours ago that world leaders have been "impressed" by Israel's "achievements". Germany's new Chancellor, in a strikingly candid comment, went as far as to say Israel is doing the "dirty work".
Yet Europe is clearly uneasy. A war between Iran and Israel, so soon after Brexit, the Covid pandemic, and the war in Ukraine, could prove deeply destabilising for a continent already under strain. One of the immediate fears: a sharp surge in energy prices that could deliver yet another blow to fragile European economies.
Now, Reuters is reporting that the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and the UK, are expected to meet their Iranian counterpart in Geneva on Friday. The agenda: Iran's nuclear programme, and, more pressingly, the escalating conflict with Israel.
European officials may welcome any pause or rollback in Iran's nuclear activities. But the prospect of a full-blown war on the doorstep of Nato allies and American partners is likely keeping many of Europe's leaders awake at night.
04:55am
UN Security Council to hold emergency session on Friday
The UN's Security Council will convene an emergency session on Friday at the request of Iran, Russia, China, Pakistan and Algeria, to discuss the ongoing conflict, BBC's US media partner CBS News reports.
Danny Dannon, the Israeli Ambassador to the UN, said they will attend, says the BBC.
"Israel not only defended itself, it eliminated a major threat facing the entire free world," he said in a statement.
The session will take place at 10:00 EDT (15:00 BST).
04:27am
Putin: Iran 'have not asked' for Russia's help
Russian President Vladimir Putin has addressed the conflict between Israel and Iran during a roundtable with news leaders today in Saint Petersburg.
According to the Associated Press, Putin said that Russia was "not imposing anything on anyone, we are simply talking about how we see a possible way out of the situation".
He said the decision should be left up to the "political leadership of all these countries, primarily Iran and Israel".
Asked by the AFP if Iran had asked for Russia's help, Putin responded, "Our Iranian friends have not asked us about this".
04:06am
Iran steps up Israel-related arrests across the country
Iran Police Commander Ahmad Reza Radan says that the police have made "heavy blows" to an Israeli "spying network" inside the country, the semi-official Mehr News Agency reports.
One person affiliated with Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, has been arrested in Iran's western Kordestan province, he says.
Iran has had a major escalation in arrests linked to Israel in recent days.
An unspecified number of people have been detained on related charges since Israel's attacks on Iran started, says the BBC.
The arrests have been made in several provinces in the country, including but not limited to Tehran, Isfahan, and Markazi.
Yesterday, Iranian outlets reported on the arrest of a "foreign national" allegedly filming the Bushehr nuclear plant for Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad. The person's citizenship has not been announced yet.
Iran Attorney General's Office warned on Sunday that anyone found cooperating with Israel would face the "severest punishments" under Iranian law.
On Monday, a man accused of spying for Mossad was executed in Iran.
The BBC cannot independently verify the accuracy of charges against those arrested in Iran on Israel-related accusations.
3:15am
Trump dismisses MAGA schism over Iran strikes
When Donald Trump spoke earlier today, he also briefly addressed internal tensions within his MAGA movement over the possibility of US strikes in Iran.
Some of his followers have expressed scepticism over the US become entangled in another Middle Eastern war, with some pointing out that he campaigned heavily on keeping the US out of foreign entanglements, says the BBC.
"My supporters are for me," he told reporters. "My supporters don't want to see Iran have a nuclear weapon."
"Nobody thinks it's okay," he added.
He also claimed that conservative commentator Tucker Carlson - who had a fiery exchange with Senator Ted Cruz over Iran - called to apologise.
2:23am
UN Security Council to hold emergency session on Friday
The United Nations Security Council will hold another emergency meeting on Iran on Friday at 10:00 (15:00 BST) in New York.
The meeting comes at the request of Iran, supported by China, Pakistan and Russia, reports the BBC.
Part of Iran's request includes having the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi, as well as the UN political affairs chief, Rosemary DiCarlo deliver a briefing to the council again.
This would be the second meeting following a first emergency meeting last Friday.
