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”.
🚨HAPPENING NOW: Protesters gather in New York City to say no to War on Iran! Donald Trump has thrown his full weight behind Israel’s violent strikes, helping push the world to the edge of catastrophic war with Iran. People everywhere are rising up to say: no more endless wars! pic.twitter.com/jG0XCjwDHx
— The People's Forum (@PeoplesForumNYC) June 18, 2025
Japan readies military planes for Israel, Iran evacuation of citizens
Japan’s top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said the military has been ordered to prepare planes for the possible evacuation of Japanese nationals from Israel and Iran.
“In view of the increasingly tense situation in the Middle East, we have decided to move Self-Defence Forces aircraft to Djibouti,” Hayashi told reporters on Thursday. The Japanese embassies in Iran and Israel are preparing to use buses to evacuate citizens to neighbouring countries, Hayashi said, as the war entered its seventh day.
C-2 transport planes will “be on standby in order to respond promptly, should transport of Japanese nationals become necessary”, Hayashi said.
About 1,000 Japanese citizens are believed to live in Israel, and approximately 280 in Iran, the country’s Defence Minister Gen Nakatani said, citing the Foreign Ministry.
