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What we know
- ESCALATING CONFLICT: Israel and Iran launched another round of attacks as the conflict between the two heavily armed rivals intensified.
- TRUMP AMPS UP RHETORIC: Despite having said the United States would not intervene directly in the conflict, President Donald Trump today posted on social media, “We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran.” He also said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is "an easy target."
- MILITARY LEADERS TARGETED: Israel said it had killed Ali Shadmani, Iran's new wartime chief of staff and its most senior military commander. His predecessor was killed in Israel's initial attack Friday.
- SECOND U.S. AIRCRAFT CARRIER: The Pentagon is expediting the deployment of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and other ships to the Middle East, two U.S. officials told NBC News.
- HUNDREDS KILLED: At least 224 people have been killed since Israel began bombing Iran on Friday, Iranian state media reported, while Iranian retaliatory strikes have killed at least 24 people in Israel.
Embassy, consulate to remain closed
The U.S. State Department today said the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and the consulate in Tel Aviv would remain closed through the end of the work week.
"Given the security situation and in compliance with Israel Home Front Command guidance, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem will be closed tomorrow (Wednesday, June 18) through Friday (June 20)," the department's travel account on X stated.
The closure applies to the consular office in Tel Aviv, it said.
Amid this week's "do not travel" advisory for Americans who planned trips to Israel, the department said information on possible help for private citizens who want to leave the region is unavailable for now, and it cannot endorse third-party travel options.
The country's main airport, Ben Gurion International, is closed amid the exchange of air attacks. The U.S. Department of State said some non-emergency government employees and family of employees were authorized to leave, but should shelter in place amid the lack of outbound travel.
Iran’s military leaders 'on the run'
Iran launched new missile barrages against Israel, but none appeared to do significant damage.
The strikes come as Israel destroyed fighter jets, missile launchers and sites related to Iran’s nuclear program.
Pro-Israel hackers take credit as some Iranian ATMs stop working
A pro-Israel hacker group called Predatory Sparrow claimed a cyberattack on a major Iranian national bank today.
The group bragged on X and Telegram that it had deleted key files from Bank Sepah. Its membership is unknown, and it’s unclear whether it has any potential affiliation with Israeli military or intelligence services.
Iran’s National Cybersecurity Command claimed Israeli hackers were attacking its digital infrastructure to disrupt public services, though it didn’t specify what was affected.
A source on the ground told NBC News that some ATMs weren’t functional today. Bank Sepah didn’t respond to an email requesting comment.
Thune says Trump is 'perfectly within his authority' on Iran
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters on Capitol Hill this afternoon that Trump is "perfectly within his authority" in the steps he has taken to deal with Iran.
Asked by NBC News whether he’d allow a war powers resolution to come to the floor for a vote, Thune said that if the conflict between Iran and Israel extends "for some period of time, there could be a more fulsome discussion about what the role of Congress should be and whether or not we need to take action."
"But I think, right now, let’s hope and pray for the best outcome, the best solution," he said. "And in my view, that would be Iran coming to the negotiating table and agreeing to end their nuclear program.”
Trump, Netanyahu spoke today
Amid ongoing tension over what the United States' role in the ongoing exchange of attacks between Israel and Iran will be, a White House official confirmed that Trump spoke with Netanyahu today.
The content of the call was unclear.
Trump earlier today called on Iran to surrender unconditionally. Multiple current and former Trump administration officials said he's considering a range of options after Israel attacked Iran.
Iran experiences major internet outage
Iran experienced a near-total internet blackout today.
Multiple government agencies claimed that the restriction was necessary to combat foreign cyberattacks.
Iran has in the past cut internet access for civilians in times of civil unrest, notably in 2019, when mass protests rocked the country, killing more than 100 people, according to estimates. The country shut off communications infrastructure for six days during those protests.
Iran’s connectivity has been intermittent since Israel’s missile strikes started last week. Analysts who talked with NBC News said some tools to communicate with the outside world, like WhatsApp and virtual private network services, were particularly affected.
No indication that Iran strike on U.S. sites is imminent, officials say
Iran is prepared to strike U.S. bases and assets in the Middle East if it opts to, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the planning, but there are no indications that anything is imminent.
U.S. bases and assets are at the highest state of alert and readiness and have been for months. After Israeli strikes on Iran began late last week, the officials said, concern about possible Iranian or Iranian proxy attacks against Americans became even more heightened.
Where do the Iranian people stand with the regime?
If Trump and Netanyahu are going for a regime change, it's not clear whether they have support inside Iran.
Karim Sadjadpour, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, explains how the Iranian people are feeling amid the escalating conflict.
Trump is considering a range of options on Iran, including a U.S. strike
Trump is considering a variety of options when it comes to Iran, including a possible U.S. strike on the country, multiple current and former administration officials said after he met with his national security team in the White House Situation Room.
Special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine and other military leaders were spotted leaving the White House after the meeting.
Iranian missile strike hits bus depot in Israel
At a bus depot north of Tel Aviv, an Iranian ballistic missile that Israeli defenses failed to intercept exploded, leaving a large crater and burned-out vehicles.
