UK’s ambassador to the UN says we ‘urge Iran now to show restraint’

The UK’s ambassador to the UN, Barbara Woodward, has just spoken at the emergency special session of the UN Security Council.

“A further spiral of conflict poses serious risks to regional and international peace and stability. Our foremost priority must now be to support de-escalation,” she told the UNSC. “The United Kingdom did not participate in US or Israeli strikes”, she said. “Military action alone cannot bring a durable solution to concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme.

“We urge Iran now to show restraint and we urge all parties to return to the negotiating table and find a diplomatic solution.”

Lies, the UK still supports Israel with reconnaissance flights, participating with Israeli strikes on Gaza. And where is your 'urging' Trump and Netanyahu to show restraint. Pathetic.

China is ‘deeply concerned’ by escalation: China’s UN envoy

China’s ambassador to the United Nations, Fu Cong, has told the UN Security Council that China “strongly condemns the US attacks on Iran and the bombing of nuclear facilities”.

“We call for an immediate ceasefire”, he said, adding that “China is deeply concerned about the risk of the situation getting out of control”. “The parties to the conflict, Israel, in particular, should reach an immediate ceasefire” to prevent “escalation” and a “spillover” of war, he said.

Concerned but no actions.

Russia says US has opened a ‘Pandora’s box’

Russia’s Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya has told the UN Security Council that the US has “yet again demonstrated its complete contempt for the position of the international community” with its attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“It’s prepared not only to turn a blind eye to the killings of tens of thousands of Palestinian women, children and old persons, but also to gamble with the safety and … well-being of humanity as a whole.”

Nebenzya said that through its actions in Iran, the US has opened “a Pandora’s box” in which “no one knows what new catastrophe and suffering it will bring”.

Hypocrites but he's not wrong. You can kiss the Non Proliferation Treaty goodbye...

Any Iranian attack on US citizens, bases will be met with ‘devastating retaliation’: US UN envoy

The US’s ambassador to the United Nations, Dorothy Shea, has just spoken at the UNSC meeting. Here is a summary of what she said:

Pakistan’s UN envoy condemns US a day after Trump Nobel Peace Prize nomination

“Pakistan has condemned the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities”, its ambassador to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, has told the UNSC.

“The sharp rise in tensions and violence as a result of the Israeli aggression and unlawful actions is profoundly disturbing. Any further escalation risks catastrophic consequences for the region and beyond,” he said.

“Pakistan stands in solidarity with the government and brotherly people of Iran during this challenging time”, Ahmad continued.

These comments come just a day after Pakistan said it would recommend United States President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The irony...

Israel, US strikes result of ‘politically motivated actions’

Iran’s Ambassador to the UN Ali Bahreini has been addressing the UN Security Council.

Israeli and US attacks on Iran did not come about “in a vacuum”, Bahreini said, adding that they are the result of “politically motivated actions” of the US and its European partners.

Israel decided to “destroy diplomacy” when it struck Iran, two days ahead of nuclear talks that were set to take place between Iran and the US, Bahreini said.

While the West expects Iran to return to the negotiating table, he asked, how can it return to something “it never left”?

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has been “manipulated into a political weapon … exploited as a pretext for aggression and unlawful action”, Bahreini said.

When the so called 'enemy' is the only one telling the truth... 

IAEA chief: Non-Proliferation Treaty may collapse under current circumstances

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi noted that:

Main events on June 22nd

Trump and his top officials send mixed messages on ‘regime change’ in Iran

The White House has repeatedly denied the conflict was seeking to topple Iran’s government.

On Sunday, Vice President JD Vance maintained the US was “not at war with Iran, we’re at war with Iran’s nuclear programme”. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth told reporters that the “mission was not, and has not, been about regime change”.

But hours later, Trump appeared to contradict his top officials.

“It’s not politically correct to use the term, “Regime Change,” but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change???” Trump wrote on his social media platform.

“MIGA!!!” he added, using an apparent acronym for Make Iran Great Again, a play on his Make America Great Again (MAGA) slogan.

Regime changes, revolution and progress happen under prosperity, not under the strictest sanctions for over 4 decades. That only ensures those in power to stay in power. 

Analysts have said that this could lead to instability as well as a security vacuum, but there are even broader questions about why the US president is suggesting the possibility of regime change, given his own Secretary of Defense, and his Vice President have said the mission was about the exact opposite.

Meantime, there are new details about that US operation. US media reporting that the president was in control, not the Pentagon, with a US official saying that this strike was not a pentagon operation. It was a Donald Trump operation. He chose the plans. He chose the day.

Now, given there has been the strike by the United States, there is now concern about retaliation by Iran, specifically given the fact that there are 40,000 troops based in the region, and there are also concerns about attacks here in the US, perhaps on infrastructure, like cyber attacks on the banking system or even on energy grids.

That is why many on Capitol Hill are now demanding an intelligence briefing, something they say should have happened prior to the president taking action.

Did US bombers fail to damage Iranian nuclear site? Marco Rubio pleads to China

Satellite photos of Fordow nuclear facility in Arian has emerged and experts believe that the US failed to damage the site despite using B-2 stealth bombers. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State has desperately requested China to use its influence to persuade Iran to not cause the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Rifat Jawaid explains how this could have catastrophic impact on the global economy. Elsewhere, the US and Israel have had to face PR disaster following their military aggression against a sovereign country.

Iran continues to strike Israel after US attacks

The Israeli military has said they’ve identified launches from Iran. We actually were able to see some of those interceptions in the skies over Amman because those missiles have to pass through both Iraqi and Jordanian airspace to make their way into Israel.

This would be the 21st ballistic missile launch that the Iranians have sent to Israel since this all started 11 days ago, when Israel began attacking Iranian nuclear and military targets.

Now, earlier on Sunday, the Israeli military said that there had been at least 10 different impacts from the missiles that were launched by the Iranians. There were at least 80 people who were injured as a result of damage that was done in several parts of the country.

Since the conflict began, some missiles have bypassed Israel’s air defence.  This sophisticated weaponry that is being sent to Israel from the Iranians. You’re talking about hypersonic missiles, you’re talking about ballistic missiles that are precision guided.

Three killed in Israeli strike on ambulance in Iran: Report

The ISNA news agency says at least three people have been killed after an Israeli drone hit an ambulance in central Iran.

“The ambulance…  was en route to transfer a patient when it was severely damaged by a drone strike,” the agency reported, citing Hamidreza Mohammadi Fesharaki, the governor of Najafabad county in the central Isfahan province.

“All occupants of the ambulance – including the driver, the patient, and the patient’s companion – were martyred.”

Fesharaki added: “The impact of the drone caused the ambulance to veer off course and collide with a passing vehicle.”

Anyone in the US government that has taken money from AIPAC should be prosecuted for treason. It's ridiculous. They talk about enemies coming across the board when a foreign entity has significant control of our government and national media. What a joke. Land of the free? Maybe when we're free from AIPAC.

Oil prices spike in trading after US strikes on Iran

Oil prices have surged in early trade today amid concerns of disruption to energy markets after US air strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.

As trading opened, Brent and the main US crude contract WTI both jumped by more than 4 percent to hit their highest price since January, according to the AFP news agency. They pared these gains, however, and at about 00:30 GMT, Brent was up 2.2 percent at $79.20 per barrel, and the WTI was 2.1 percent higher at $75.98.

Economists at the Japanese MUFG financial group told the AFP that the “high uncertainty of the outcomes and duration of this war” could pave the way for a possible oil price increase of $10 per barrel.

Iran is the world’s ninth-biggest oil-producing country, with an output of about 3.3 million barrels per day. It exports just under half of that amount and keeps the rest for domestic consumption.

South Korea warns of financial volatility amid Middle East tensions

South Korean acting Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-il has warned of heightened volatility in global financial and energy markets amid the escalating tensions in the Middle East, according to the official Yonhap news agency.

Lee made the remarks while presiding over a meeting on macroeconomic trends and risks, citing growing uncertainty after the US military involvement in Israel’s military operation against Iran.

Iran holds the second-largest gas reserves globally and is OPEC’s third-largest crude producer. “Global oil prices have already opened 2 to 3 percent higher today, signalling increased volatility in international energy markets,” Lee noted.

Lee said the government must be on high alert and closely monitor international energy prices and supply-demand dynamics, while stressing the importance of a quick and coordinated response, Yonhap reported.

South Korea is the world’s 13th-largest economy and the fourth in Asia in terms of gross domestic product (GDP).

Two supertankers make U-turn in Strait of Hormuz after US strikes on Iran: Report

The Coswisdom Lake and South Loyalty, which are both capable of hauling about 2 million barrels of crude, have turned around in the Strait of Hormuz after US air strikes on Iran raised the risk of conflict in the region, according to Bloomberg.

The two empty freighters had entered the waterway on Sunday and then “abruptly changed course”, the report said, citing tracking data.

“The turning oil carriers offer the first signs of re-routing,” Bloomberg reported, and the move comes as “vessel owners and traders are closely watching for signs that the escalation in the Middle East will affect movements and flows”.

Iran has previously threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, which is the only marine entry into the Gulf. According to the US Energy Information Administration, about 20 percent of global oil consumption flows through the Strait, which the agency describes as the “world’s most important oil transit chokepoint”.

Three tankers reroute away from Strait of Hormuz: Tracking data

Three oil and chemical tankers have steered away from the Strait of Hormuz, data from the Marine Traffic platform shows, as concerns mount over potential Iranian retaliation to US attacks on its nuclear sites.

The Marshall Islands-flagged Marie C and Panama-flagged Red Ruby tankers dropped their anchors near Fujairah off the United Arab Emirates coast after having sailed towards the strait, the tracking data showed.

The UK-flagged Kohzan Maru, meanwhile, veered close to Omani waters in the Gulf of Oman, according to the data.

Iran’s parliament has reportedly backed a measure to close off the Strait of Hormuz, but such a decision ultimately rests with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

Oil majors evacuate some foreign staff from Iraq

Eni, BP and Total Energies operating in Iraqi oilfields have evacuated a number of their foreign personnel, Iraq’s state-run Basra Oil Company says in a statement.

However, oil operations in Iraq’s southern oilfields have not been affected, with exports averaging 3.32m barrels per day, two oil officials told Reuters.

Mother and son killed in Israeli drone strike in Iran’s Kermanshah: Report

Iran’s Press TV and Fars news agency are reporting that an Iranian mother and her six-year-old son have been killed in an Israeli drone attack in the city of Hamil in the central province of Kermanshah.

Fars news reported that the attack took place on June 21, hitting a truck and a passenger car. The father and another child were also wounded in the attack and taken to hospital for treatment, the report said, citing officials in Kermanshah.

Dozens of children have been reported killed in Iran since Israel’s military operation began on June 13.

#BREAKING
An advanced Israeli Hermes drone was shot down early this morning by the IRGC's air defense forces in Khorramabad, Lorestan Province. pic.twitter.com/5s0QDqcn9n

— Tehran Times (@TehranTimes79) June 23, 2025

Israel promises to continue Iran attacks until ‘all goals achieved'

The Israeli army and the Israeli government have been very focused on the effects and the success of the American strikes.

At the same time, we’ve been hearing from the Israeli prime minister that Israel still hasn’t achieved all of their goals, while maintaining vagueness about what those goals actually are.

Netanyahu said that Israel will continue to bomb Iran, continue to bomb targets until all goals have been achieved.

So there is no indication – despite that success claimed by the Americans and the Israelis in these strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear sites, that the bombing will stop or that there is a path towards ending this.

Since the goal is to keep Netanyahu in power and out of prison, there is no end in sight...

Nonstop Iranian attacks causing extensive damage in Israel

Damage in Israel over the past 10 days has been extensive. Most of the damage has been in central Israel, but also in Haifa, a very strategic city that’s been pummelled repeatedly.

In one case yesterday, a missile made impact without the sirens going off. After an investigation, the Israeli army confirmed that it was, in fact, an Iranian missile, not an interceptor that misfired.

This nonstop dynamic has pushed more than 30,000 Israelis to file for compensation. Several hundred have had to seek alternative housing. Local authorities are paying a little over $4m a day to try to accommodate these emergent needs.

Iran won’t abandon UN’s nuclear treaty, official says

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi has declared that Tehran will continue to be a “committed member” of the UN Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

Iran’s Entekhab news agency quoted Takht-Ravanchi as saying that within the NPT framework, the country will “continue to enrich [uranium] for peaceful purposes” and energy needs.

The US and Israel have accused Iran of trying to build nuclear weapons, allegations it has repeatedly denied. On Sunday, the US joined Israel in bombarding Iran’s military and nuclear sites. The attacks came as Iranian diplomats were negotiating with the US as well as European powers.

Takht-Ravanchi said that “there is no point in continuing dialogue” during ongoing attacks on Iran.

“We do not negotiate for the sake of negotiating,” he said.

Iran considering bill to suspend cooperation with IAEA: Reports

Iran’s Parliament is considering a bill that would suspend the country’s cooperation with the UN’s nuclear watchdog, state media have reported, citing a member of the legislature’s praesidium, Ruhollah Motefakerzadeh.

Iranian media also reported that Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said legislators are seeking to suspend cooperation with the IAEA “until we have objective guarantees of the professional behaviour of this international organisation”.

Qalibaf added that Tehran was not looking to develop nuclear weapons. “The world clearly saw that the Atomic Energy Agency has not fulfilled any of its obligations and has become a political tool,” he added.

Several days ago, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson accused IAEA chief Rafael Grossi and his organisation of being complicit in the ongoing conflict, saying that its “biased” reporting on Iran’s nuclear activities was used as a “pretext” for Israel to attack.

Iran vows response to US strikes as it hits back at Israel

After the US strikes on Iran’s three nuclear facilities, which Trump claimed “obliterated” them, Iranian officials have threatened to hit US military bases across the region.

“The criminal US must know that in addition to punishing its illegitimate and aggressive offspring [Israel], the hands of Islam’s fighters within the armed forces have been freed to take any action against its interests and military, and we will never back down in this regard,” Abdolrahim Mousavi, the new chief of staff of Iranian armed forces, said in a statement.

There have also been discussions about the possibility of trying to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz and a potential exit from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Iranian lawmakers have signalled they would back a bill to leave the NPT and suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), but the final decision will lie with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

Trump’s threats represent ‘bullying’ on a global scale: Iran

Esmaeil Baghaei, the spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, has addressed the US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Below are his comments as quoted by the state-run IRNA news agency:

‘It all began with the bombing of Palestinian children’

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has expressed concern over the escalating conflict in the Middle East, urging Netanyahu to call an immediate truce.

“It all began with the bombing of Palestinian children: The genocide of the people of Gaza,” he wrote on X. “We’re now close to a world war. Where does the solution begin? Netanyahu must stop bombing Palestine, call a truce, and stop putting all of humanity at risk.”

Tehran targeted as fighting rages between Israel and Iran

On my way to the office, at least three huge air strikes hit the northern part of Iran’s capital. We are seeing massive explosions in Tehran in parallel to the attacks launched against Israel.

There was another air strike in Kaaj, which is to the west of the capital, and a drone strike at the Bahman hospital, according to witnesses.

The hospital, about 200 metres [66 ft] from our office, was attacked by a small drone. At the moment, we don’t know who or what was the target. But what is clear is there’s been an escalation of attacks today.

There are no reports of casualties so far. News reports say the Iranian Red Crescent headquarters has been targeted.

Over the past few days, more people have returned to Iran and normal life has returned somewhat, with traffic on the street and shops reopening.

Iranian missile attack causes power outages in southern Israel

The Times of Israel is reporting that the Israel Electric Corporation has confirmed a hit near a “strategic infrastructure facility” and says there are power disruptions in several towns in the area.

“Teams are on their way to several locations on the ground with the aim of restoring power supply as soon as possible. The operations include infrastructure repairs and the removal of safety hazards, and are being carried out in coordination with security forces,” the IEC was quoted as saying.

During the attack, sirens sounded for some 35 minutes. “This is the longest period Israelis have spent in shelters since the start of the war” on Iran, the Channel 13 broadcaster reported.

Israeli forces strike Fordow nuclear site: Official

A spokesman for the Qom province crisis management headquarters says the Israeli army attacked Iran’s Fordow nuclear site, a day after it was targeted in US strikes. The official said there was no danger to residents in the area, Tasnim news agency reported.

Mahmoud Khalil promises to keep up protests for Palestine

The Columbia University graduate student, who the Trump administration is seeking to deport for his pro-Palestine activism, has spoken to supporters in New York after his recent release from federal immigration detention.

“The US government is funding this genocide, and Columbia University is investing in this genocide,” said Khalil, who spent more than 100 days in detention.

“This is why I was protesting. This is why I will continue to protest with you,” he said.

Khalil, who was released on Friday, is a legal permanent resident in the US who is married to a US citizen and has a US-born son.

Casualties as Israel attacks Gaza’s al-Buraq camp

Israeli forces have bombed tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in the al-Buraq camp near Khan Younis in southern Gaza, according to videos posted online.

The footage, verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad fact-checking agency, showed a deep crater resulting from the bombing. It also shows people searching for those trapped following the bombing.

Israeli forces kill 5 Palestinians, wound dozens in Gaza

The eyes of the world have shifted to Israel’s conflict with Iran, but its attacks on Palestinians in Gaza continue. Wafa is reporting that Israeli forces killed at least five people in attacks on central and southern Gaza this morning.

In one attack, they attacked civilians waiting for food aid in Salah al-Din Street, south of the Wadi Gaza area, killing at least two people and wounding 35, the agency reported, citing medical sources at al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp.

A third person was killed in an attack on a house in central Deir el-Balah, and two others, including a child, were killed in an attack on northern Gaza City. Wafa said there were more casualties from a drone attack on the so-called safe zone of al-Mawasi in southern Gaza, but did not give an exact toll.


_{Palestinians carry a wounded man in Beit Lahiya, in north Gaza, June 22}