Israel announced on Friday that its military campaigns against Iran will continue until Iran’s nuclear program is completely dismantled, heightening tensions as each side exchanged new attacks in the conflict.
Addressing a United Nations Security Council gathering, Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon stated, “We will not stop not until Iran’s nuclear threat is dismantled, its war machine disarmed, and both our people and yours are safe.”
Iran’s UN envoy, Amir Saeid Iravani, called for intervention by the Security Council. He was alarmed at reports that the United States could become involved in the war, and said, “Israel has said it will keep striking indefinitely. We are gravely concerned by reports indicating possible US intervention.
In the meantime, US President Donald Trump announced he would make a decision within two weeks on whether to militarily attack Iran. The action would include precision attacks against Iran’s highly fortified Fordo nuclear site using “bunker-buster” bombs.
Regardless of continued attempts by European leaders to re-engage diplomacy, Israeli warplanes attacked Iranian military targets on Friday, including missile production sites. Iran fought back with new missile attacks on Israel’s northern city of Haifa, injuring 19 individuals.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, en route to Geneva for talks, said there would be no negotiations with the US while Israeli attacks continued. “We have received multiple messages from Washington, but we’ve made it clear no talks under aggression,” Araghchi said on Iranian state television.
French President Emmanuel Macron indicated European diplomats would make Iran a formal proposal to restore the 2015 nuclear accord. In that accord, Iran restricted uranium enrichment and opened up to inspections in return for the lifting of sanctions a deal the US withdrew from in 2018.
Since the war broke out on June 13, 657 Iranians, 263 of them civilians, have been killed. Iran has fired more than 450 missiles and 1,000 drones, while Israeli losses are 24 dead and hundreds injured.
