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Israel, Iran Launch New Strikes 06/20 06:07
Israel and Iran exchanged strikes a week into their war Friday as President
Donald Trump weighed U.S. military involvement and new diplomatic efforts got
underway.
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) -- Israel and Iran exchanged strikes a week into their
war Friday as President Donald Trump weighed U.S. military involvement and new
diplomatic efforts got underway.
Trump has been weighing whether to attack Iran by striking its well-defended
Fordo uranium enrichment facility, which is buried under a mountain and widely
considered to be out of reach of all but America's "bunker-buster" bombs. He
said he'll decide within two weeks whether the U.S. military will get directly
involved in the war given the "substantial chance" for renewed negotiations
over Tehran's nuclear program.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi appeared to be en route to Geneva for
meetings with the European Union's top diplomat and counterparts from the
United Kingdom, France and Germany. A plane with his usual call sign took off
from the Turkish city of Van, near the Iranian border, flight-tracking data
from FlightRadar24 showed. Iran typically acknowledges his departure hours
afterward.
Britain's foreign secretary said he met at the White House with U.S.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss the potential
for a deal that could cool the conflict.
Before his flight, Araghchi said on Iranian state television that his
country was "not seeking negotiations with anyone" as long as Israel's attacks
continued, underscoring the diplomatic challenges ahead. He also accused the
U.S. of collaborating with Israel, noting that Trump regularly used "we" in
social media posts and interviews talking about the attacks on Iran.
"It is the Americans who want talks," he said in comments Thursday that were
broadcast Friday. "They've sent messages several times -- very serious ones --
but we made it explicitly clear to them that as long as this aggression and
invasion continue, there is absolutely no room for talk or diplomacy. We are
engaged in legitimate self-defense, and this defense will not stop under any
circumstances."
He added that he expected the Switzerland talks to focus only on Iran's
nuclear program, and that Iran's missile capabilities were "for defending the
country" and not up for discussion.
French President Emmanuel Macron said top European diplomats in Geneva will
make a "comprehensive, diplomatic and technical offer of negotiation" to Iran,
as a key response to the "threat" represented by Iran's nuclear program.
"No one can seriously believe that this threat can be met with (Israel's)
current operations alone," he told reporters on the sidelines of the Paris Air
Show, saying some plants are heavily fortified and nobody knows exactly where
all uranium enrichment is taking place.
"We need to regain control on (Iran's nuclear) program through technical
expertise and negotiation."
Iran had previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow
international inspectors in to its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal with the
U.S., France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in exchange for sanctions
relief and other provisions.
After Trump pulled the U.S. unilaterally out of the deal during his last
term, however, Iran began enriching uranium to higher levels and limiting
access to its facilities.
Israel says air campaign will target more sites
Israel said it conducted airstrikes into Friday morning in Iran with more
than 60 aircraft hitting what it said were industrial sites to manufacture
missiles. It did not elaborate on the locations. It also said it hit the
headquarters of Iran's Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research, known
by its acronym in Farsi, SPND. The U.S. in the past has linked that agency to
alleged Iranian research and testing tied to the possible development of
nuclear explosive devices.
It also carried out airstrikes targeting the areas around Kermanshah and
Tabriz in western Iran, where the military said 25 fighter jets struck "missile
storage and launch infrastructure components" Friday morning. There had been
reports of anti-aircraft fire in the areas.
Iran did not immediately acknowledge the losses, and has not discussed the
damage done so far to its military in the weeklong war.
"We are strengthening our air control in the region and advancing our air
offensive," Israeli military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin told
reporters.
"We have more sites to strike in Tehran, western Iran and other places."
Israeli airstrikes also reached into the city of Rasht on the Caspian Sea
early Friday, Iranian media reported. The Israeli military had warned the
public to flee the area around Rasht's Industrial City, southwest of the city's
downtown. But with Iran's internet shut off to the outside world, it's unclear
just how many people could see the message.
Damage from missiles in southern Israel
In Israel, the paramedic service Magen David Adom said Iranian missiles
struck a residential area in southern Israel causing damage to buildings,
including one six-story building. They have provided medical treatment to five
people with minor injuries such as bruises, smoke inhalation, and anxiety, it
said.
This comes a day after at least 80 patients and medical workers were wounded
in a strike on the Soroka Medical Center in the southern city of Beersheba.
On Thursday, Israel's defense minister threatened Iranian Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after the Iranian missile crashed into the hospital.
Israel's military "has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all
of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist," Defense
Minister Israel Katz said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he trusted that Trump would "do
what's best for America." Speaking from the rubble and shattered glass around
the hospital, he added: "I can tell you that they're already helping a lot."
The war between Israel and Iran erupted June 13, with Israeli airstrikes
targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At
least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more
than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group.
Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel,
according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's
multitiered air defenses, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and
hundreds wounded.
Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. But
it is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich uranium up to 60%, a short,
technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.
Israel is widely believed to be the only Middle Eastern country with a
nuclear weapons program but has never acknowledged it.
The Israeli air campaign has targeted Iran's enrichment site at Natanz,
centrifuge workshops around Tehran, a nuclear site in Isfahan and what the army
assesses to be most of Iran's ballistic missile launchers. The destruction of
those launchers has contributed to the steady decline in Iranian attacks since
the start of the conflict.
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