Israel began attacking Iran last Friday, saying it aimed to prevent its longtime enemy from developing nuclear weapons.
Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. It says its nuclear programme is peaceful.
Israeli air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, said the Human Rights Activists News Agency.
Those killed include the military’s top echelon and nuclear scientists.
Israel has said at least two dozen Israeli civilians have died in Iranian missile attacks.
Reuters could not independently verify the death toll from either side.
Trump to decide on US action in Israel-Iran conflict within 2 weeks, White House says
The White House said on Thursday that President Donald Trump will make a decision on whether the U.S. will get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict in the next two weeks.
Citing a message from Trump, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters: “Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.”
Leavitt told a regular briefing that Trump was interested in pursuing a diplomatic solution with Iran, but his top priority was ensuring that Iran could not obtain a nuclear weapon.
She said any deal would have to prohibit enrichment of uranium by Tehran and eliminate Iran’s ability to achieve a nuclear weapon.
“The president is always interested in a diplomatic solution …he is a peacemaker in chief. He is the peace through strength president. And so if there’s a chance for diplomacy, the president’s always going to grab it,” Leavitt said. “But he’s not afraid to use strength as well I will add.”
Iran held direct talks with US amid intensifying conflict with Israel, diplomats say
U.S. 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, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter, Araqchi said Tehran would not return to negotiations unless Israel stopped the attacks, which began on June 13.
They said the talks included a brief discussion of a U.S. 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.
U.S. and Iranians officials did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the matter.
China opposes ‘use of force’ after Trump Iran warning
China said Thursday it opposed the “use of force”, in response to a question about US President Donald Trump warning he was weighing US military action in the Israel-Iran conflict.
Beijing “opposes any act that… infringes upon the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of other countries, and opposes the use or threat of use of force in international relations”, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular press briefing.
China urged countries in the Middle East, “especially Israel”, to cease fighting on Thursday after fresh exchanges of fire with Iran, and as US President Donald Trump warned he was weighing US military action in the conflict.
“China strongly calls on all parties involved in the conflict, especially Israel, to put the interests of the region’s people first, immediately cease fire and stop fighting,” foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.
Trump approves Iran attack plan: WSJ
President Trump told senior aides late Tuesday that he approved of attack plans for Iran, but was holding off to see if Tehran would abandon its nuclear program, people familiar with the deliberations said, ARY News reported quoting the Wall Street Journal.
Iran’s well-defended Fordow enrichment facility is a possible U.S. target; it is buried under a mountain and generally considered by military experts to be out of reach of all but the most powerful bombs.
In a separate development earlier the New York Times reported, citing a senior Iranian official that Iran would accept US President Donald Trump’s offer to meet soon.
Explosions reported in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem as Iran fires fresh salvo of missiles
Iranian media reported a new salvo of missiles fired at Israel Thursday, as the rivals traded fire for seventh day of the conflict after Israeli strikes on Iran on last Friday.
“The missiles roared over Tel Aviv,” the Iranian news agency Fars reported, while state television broadcast live images of the commercial hub.
Sirens sounded across Israel early Thursday as the Israeli military said it detected incoming missiles from Iran.
“A short while ago, sirens sounded in several areas across Israel following the identification of missiles launched from Iran toward Israel,” the military said in a post on Telegram.
Russia offers nuclear fuel to Iran for civil energy program from its enriched uranium
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said Iran has the right to peaceful nuclear power.
Putin told senior news agency editors in the northern Russian city of St Petersburg that Moscow had “a very good relationship with Iran” and that Russia could ensure Iran’s interests in nuclear energy.
Russia has offered to take enriched uranium from Iran and to supply nuclear fuel to the country’s civil energy programme.
Questioned about possible regime change in Iran, Putin said that before getting into something, one should always look at whether or not the main aim is being achieved before starting something.
European ministers to hold nuclear talks with Iran on Friday in Geneva, source says
The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain plan to hold nuclear talks with their Iranian counterpart on Friday in Geneva, a German diplomatic source told Reuters.
The ministers will first meet with the European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, at the German consulate in Geneva before holding a joint meeting with the Iranian foreign minister, the source said.
The plan has been agreed with the United States, the source added.
Iran and Israel launched new missile strikes at each other on Wednesday as the air war between the two longtime enemies entered a sixth day amid a call from U.S. President Donald Trump for Tehran’s unconditional surrender.
The Israeli military said two barrages of Iranian missiles were launched toward Israel in the first two hours of Wednesday morning.
Explosions were heard over Tel Aviv.
Israel told residents in a southwestern area of Tehran to evacuate so its air force could strike Iranian military installations.
Iranian news websites said Israel was attacking a university linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in the east of the capital.
Iranian news websites said Israel was also attacking a university linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in the country’s east, and the Khojir ballistic missile facility near Tehran, which was also targeted by Israeli airstrikes last October.
Turkiye’s Erdogan says Iran acting in self-defence
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Israel of waging “crazed” attacks against Iran that amount to “state terrorism”.
Iran’s response, Erdogan said, is natural, legal and legitimate.
Speaking to members of his ruling Justice and Development Party in parliament, Erdogan said Turkiye wants to see the crisis resolved diplomatically and Ankara could play a constructive role.
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