U.S. bombs three Iranian nuclear sites; Trump warns against retaliation

Israel’s emergency services have evacuated 16 casualties to hospital after a wave of Iran strikes hit Tel Aviv this morning.

Magen David Adom shared images of buildings reduced to rubble in the Ramat Aviv neighborhood in northwest Tel Aviv. Aerial footage from Israel’s Channel 12 showed collapsed roofs and widespread destruction at the site.

Israeli security forces and first responders at a building damaged by an Iranian strike today.  Jack Guez / AFP - Getty Images

“A 30-year-old man was in moderate condition, and 15 others are in mild condition,” according to Magen David Adom.

“Multiple sites being searched across Israel by MDA EMTs and Paramedics,” it said.

According to a statement by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, 40 missiles were fired from Iran this morning.

The U.S. struck Iran's Fordo nuclear facility with "six huge bunker buster bombs," Fox News' Sean Hannity told listeners last night, citing a phone call with President Donald Trump.

Only the U.S. is known to have the 30,000-pound "bunker buster" bombs needed to damage Iran’s Fordo nuclear enrichment facility, which is located 300 feet under a mountian.

Hannity added that Iran's Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities "were wiped out with 30 Tomahawk missiles launched by American submarines some 400 miles away."

Missiles coming from Iran were launched toward Israel, causing sirens to sound in several areas, the Israel Defense Forces said.

"At this time, the IAF is operating to intercept and strike where necessary to eliminate the threat," the IDF said.

It asked the public to listen to instructions from the Home Front Command.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his nation "reserves all options" in responding to the attack on its nuclear sites by the United States.

"The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences," he said in a statement on X. "In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defense, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people."

He characterized the U.S. attacks as a "grave violation" of the United Nations' charter, international law and the global Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

The Trump administration is bracing for potential retaliation from Iran, with the next 48 hours being of particular concern, according to two defense officials and a senior White House official. 

It’s unclear whether any retaliation would target overseas or domestic locations, or both, the officials said. 

Two officials familiar with military planning said earlier in the week that Iran already has plans on the books to target U.S. bases and assets in the Middle East if need arises, though they cautioned at the time there were no indications of imminent deployment of the plans.

U.S. bases and assets have been at their highest state of alert for months, but after Israel began warring with Iran on June 13, the officials who spoke earlier in the week said concerns were heightened even more about the potential for attacks on U.S. assets from Iran or its proxies in the region.

From support for a return to diplomacy to outright condemnation, the reaction to the U.S. strikes on Iran from Latin American leaders is less enthusiastic than what has been seen from Trump's domestic allies tonight.

Mexico's Foreign Affairs Ministry issued "an urgent call for diplomatic dialogue for peace among the parties involved in the Middle East."

"Under Mexico’s constitutional principles of foreign policy and our nation’s pacifist convictions, we reiterate our call to de-escalate tensions in the region," the ministry said on X. "Restoring peaceful coexistence among the States in the region remains the highest priority."

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said on X that the U.S. attack could draw the world into a crisis.

“We emphatically condemn the bombing by the United States against nuclear installations in Iran, which constitute a dangerous advance to the conflict in the Middle East,” he said.

The MAGA movement’s top influencers were divided over bombing Iran until Trump did just that tonight. 

Now, at least for the time being, the lay leaders in Trump’s base appear to be rallying around a position that spares him criticism: Direct attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities are justified, as long as American troops aren’t sent into a third full war halfway around the world in the last quarter of a century. 

“People don’t want an escalation where ground troops are sent in, but this is not Iraq,” said Ryan Girdusky, a Republican consultant who worked for a super PAC that backed Vice President JD Vance’s 2022 Senate campaign in Ohio. Girdusky predicted the MAGA base will swing in line behind Trump.

Read the full story here.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is out with a statement calling on congress to enforce the War Powers Act.

“President Trump must provide the American people and Congress clear answers on the actions taken tonight and their implications for the safety of Americans," he said in the statement. "No president should be allowed to unilaterally march this nation into something as consequential as war with erratic threats and no strategy.”

Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., who was notably not briefed about the strikes on Iran, is calling on Trump to go before Congress to lay out the strategy for why he decided to strike Iran now and what the strategy is going forward.

"The president must come before Congress immediately to articulate clear strategic objectives and lay out how he plans to protect American lives and ensure we are not once again drawn into a costly, unnecessary, and avoidable conflict," Warner said.

A senior White House official told NBC News the following people were in the Situation Room during the strikes on Iran:

Trump

Vice President JD Vance

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine

National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard

CIA Director John Ratcliffe

National security adviser / Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Trump warned Iran on Truth Social that "ANY RETALIATION" made "AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" will be met with even greater force than what was unleashed today. He closed the post by saying, "THANK YOU! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES."

03:12

U.S. Navy ships launched 30 Tomahawk missiles from submarines into Iran tonight, two defense officials told NBC News.

The Tomahawks were launched in addition to the bombs dropped on the country’s nuclear sites.

Several members of Congress in both parties questioned the legality of Trump’s move.

While Republican leaders and many rank-and-file members stood by Trump’s decision, at least two GOP lawmakers joined across the party spectrum in suggesting it was unconstitutional for him to bomb Iran without approval from Congress. 

“While President Trump’s decision may prove just, it’s hard to conceive a rationale that’s Constitutional,” Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, who usually aligns with Trump, said on X. “I look forward to his remarks tonight.”

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said in response to Trump’s social media post announcing the strikes: “This is not Constitutional.”

Read the full story here.

In his address to the nation, Trump condemned Iran for “thousands of deaths” “as a direct result of their hate,” naming one of the country’s top generals, Qassem Soleimani, whom the United States killed in an airstrike during Trump’s first term in office.

“For 40 years, Iran has been saying, ‘Death to America, Death to Israel.’ They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs, with roadside bombs. That was their specialty,” Trump said.

“We lost over 1,000 people, and hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East and around the world have died as a direct result of their hate. In particular, so many were killed by their Gen. Qassem Soleimani. I decided a long time ago that I would not let this happen. It will not continue,” he added.

Trump again praised the U.S. military for the strikes tonight, saying no other army could have pulled off tonight’s feat, “not even close.”

He went on to announce that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine will hold a news conference at the Pentagon at 8 a.m. tomorrow.

Trump thanked Netanyahu and the Israeli army in his speech tonight.

“We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we’ve gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel,” Trump said.

Trump also thanked the U.S. Army and Gen. Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, calling the strikes “an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades.”

“Hopefully we will no longer need their services in this capacity. I hope that’s so,” he added. “There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams said they are increasing security in the state and the city in light of Trump's announcement.

Hochul said on X that her top priority was keeping New Yorkers safe.

“I am receiving intelligence briefings and closely monitoring the evolving situation in Iran alongside federal and local partners,” she said. “The New York State Police are working to protect at-risk sites and fight cyberattacks.”

Also on X, Adams said his administration had ordered the New York Police Department to "increase its presence around religious, cultural, and diplomatic sites throughout the five boroughs."

Adams added that the “large Persian population” in New York City was in his thoughts.

In a starkly worded statement, António Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, said he is “gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today.”

“This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge — and a direct threat to international peace and security,” he said on X.

Guterres warned of the risk that the conflict could quickly get "out of control — with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world.”

He urged U.N. member nations to “de-escalate and to uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law.”

“At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos,” he added.

In an address to the nation tonight, Trump said Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities were "completely and totally obliterated," adding that any future attacks would be "far greater and a lot easier."

"If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes," Trump said.

Trump says Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities ‘completely and totally obliterated’ in U.S. strikes

03:36

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which bills itself as the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said Trump's attack on Iran could "drag" the United States into a regional war.

In a statement, the group said the air assault on three locations said to be part of a nuclear program is an "illegal and unjustified act of war."

The organization said the mission "prioritizes the wishes of Benjamin Netanyahu over the American people and threatens to drag our nation into a wider war in the region."

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran called the attacks a “blatant violation of international law,” adding that it expects the international community to condemn it.

The organization went on to condemn the International Atomic Energy Agency, accusing it of “indifference and even complicity,” and assured Iranians that the country will not allow strikes to halt the progress “of this national industry.”

“This organisation has placed on its agenda all necessary actions to defend the rights of the noble Iranian people, including legal follow-ups,” the statement said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Trump “made the right call, and did what he needed to do” with U.S. strikes on Iran.

Johnson said on X that congressional leaders were aware the situation was urgent and that Trump "evaluated that the imminent danger outweighed the time it would take for Congress to act.”

“The President fully respects the Article I power of Congress, and tonight’s necessary, limited, and targeted strike follows the history and tradition of similar military actions under presidents of both parties,” he said.

Netanyahu said during the past week's exchange of air attacks between Israel and Iran that Israel has the capability to take out Iran's nuclear facilities on its own.

Asked about that yesterday, Trump disagreed, saying only the United States, which has the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a “bunker buster” weapon, could get the job done.

Special Report: Trump says U.S. attacked Iran nuclear sites

06:38

The type of ordnance used tonight hasn't been confirmed, but several American B-2 stealth bombers, the only plane type that can carry the 30,000-pound GBU-57 bombs, took off from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, earlier in the day.

Trump's claim, particularly as it applies to Iran's uranium enrichment at a facility known as Fordo, appears to be true, according to what experts have said.

Former Vice President Mike Pence praised Trump’s call to strike nuclear sites in Iran, saying he “should be commended for his decisive leadership.”

“Iran could never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. Thanks to the resolve of our Commander in Chief and the courage and professionalism of our Armed Forces, America, Israel and the Free World are safer as a result,” Pence wrote on X, adding that Iran should “stand down and abandon any thought of retaliation” against the U.S.

“Tonight President @realDonaldTrump proved again that the United States of America is the Leader of the Free World and America Stands with Israel,” Pence said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his first public comments on the U.S. strikes, congratulated Trump for his “bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might” of the American military.

The decision will “change history,” Netanyahu said in an English-language video statement.

Netanyahu praises Trump's strikes on Iran

01:53

“President Trump and I often say, ‘Peace through strength,'" he added. "First comes strength, then comes peace — and tonight, President Trump and the United States acted with a lot of strength.”

03:03

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., called Trump’s decision to strike Iran without authorization from Congress “absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.”

“The President’s disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X.

“He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations,” she added.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., slammed Trump for his decision to strike Iran, adding that “the risk of war has now dramatically increased.”

“President Trump misled the country about his intentions, failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East,” Jeffries said in a statement.

He added that the administration “bears the heavy burden of explaining to the American people why this military action was undertaken,” and briefing Congress “fully and immediately” in a classified setting.

“Donald Trump shoulders complete and total responsibility for any adverse consequences that flow from his unilateral military action,” Jeffries said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state’s threat assessment center is “actively monitoring for any potential impacts" in the state following the U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear sites.

In a post on X, Newsom, a Democrat, said there were “no specific or credible counter threats we are aware of at this time,” but he urged residents to “stay vigilant and report suspicious activity.”

The New York Police Department struck a similar note, saying in a statement it was “tracking the situation unfolding in Iran.”

“Out of an abundance of caution, we’re deploying additional resources to religious, cultural, and diplomatic sites across NYC and coordinating with our federal partners,” the police department for the largest city in the nation added. “We’ll continue to monitor for any potential impact to NYC.”

Trump called the strikes on Iran a “great success” and a “complete and total success” in a brief phone call with NBC News tonight.

Trump noted he had to go because he’s about to “make a speech” about the strikes.

Trump calls strikes on Iran a 'complete and total success'

02:27

During his address tonight, Trump is expected to say that he is not currently planning additional strikes inside Iran, multiple senior White House officials told NBC News.

The officials said Trump hopes the strikes propel Iran back to negotiations as he presses its leaders to an agreement that will end this war.

Israel is curbing civilian movements following the U.S. strikes on Iran, ordering a halt to all but “essential activity.”

The new instructions from the Israel Defense Forces include a prohibition on civilians going to schools, public gatherings and workplaces, “except for essential sectors.”

The order took effect as of 3:45 a.m. Sunday local time.

An Israeli official tells NBC News that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to give a statement Sunday morning, Israeli time.

Describing the U.S. air assault on nuclear facilities in Iran as an act of war, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., decried the move as outside Trump's powers.

Sanders spoke at a political rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as part of his Fighting Oligarchy Tour, reading part of Trump's social media announcement on the bombing to the crowd, which immediately responded by chanting, "No more wars."

"I agree," Sanders said, speaking onstage.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., called the decision to strike Iran today “horrible judgment,” adding he will push for a Senate vote “on whether they are for this third idiotic Middle East war.”

“The American public is overwhelmingly opposed to the U.S. waging war on Iran. And the Israeli Foreign Minister admitted yesterday that Israeli bombing had set the Iranian nuclear program back ‘at least 2 or 3 years.’ So what made Trump recklessly decide to rush and bomb today?” Kaine said in a post on X.

06:59

At around 2 this morning, B-2 bombers took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Johnson County, Missouri. Although it hasn't been confirmed that the bombers were used in the strike, this time frame would give the pilots enough time to reach Iran.

Discussions earlier this week centered around how difficult it would be to bomb Iran's Fordo Base, which is located 300 feet below the surface of the Earth.

The bomb used in the strike is called a massive ordnance penetrator, or a "bunker buster," which is tens of thousands of pounds in casings that can penetrate deep below the Earth's surface before detonating. Although it has yet to be confirmed that a massive ordnance penetrator was used, countries like Israel do not possess such weapons, nor do they have the B-2 jet to deploy the weapon.

The U.S. also struck Natanz and Isfahan. Israel has recently attacked Natanz.

NBC News correspondent Matt Bradley speaks from Tel Aviv on what the U.S. bombing of Iran could mean for Israel.

06:58

A local official in Isfahan speaking with Fars News, a news outlet run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, confirmed the attacks.

“Air defence systems in Isfahan and Kashan became active hours ago to confront hostile targets, and several explosions were heard simultaneously,” the deputy security governor of Isfahan said, adding they witnessed the attacks on Isfahan and Natanz.

President Donald Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the U.S. dropped bombs on Iranian nuclear sites, according to a senior White House official.

The two have been speaking almost daily over the last week or so regarding the conflict between Israel and Iran.

Steve Bannon, a key voice in the MAGA movement who has voiced skepticism about U.S. involvement in the war between Israel and Iran, said tonight that the U.S. strikes are “probably the biggest and boldest” move of Trump’s presidency.

Bannon, speaking via his “War Room” podcast livestream, said he doubted that Trump would want to get bogged down in a protracted foreign conflict if it comes at the expense of his domestic agenda, including his sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration.

“We have now become a combatant in this war between Israel and the Persians. I guess you say it’s now a broader war, although it looks like the president is trying to keep this to a very tactical strike,” Bannon said. He added that in the U.S., “an overwhelming majority of the people don’t want to get involved in any of this. Now, we’re involved.”

Bannon, who was a senior White House adviser in Trump’s first term, met with the president for lunch at the White House on Thursday, the same day Trump said through a spokeswoman that he would make a decision on joining the attack on Iran within two weeks.

Iranian state media has reported that the three nuclear sites targeted by the U.S. had been evacuated “some time ago.”

The state broadcasting service’s deputy director added that no materials at the site could cause radiation.

Some of the most vocal Republican members of Congress said on social media platform X they support President Donald Trump's decision to bomb three nuclear sites in Iran.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said, "Good. This was the right call. The regime deserves it."

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said the attack was necessary. "The prospect of the Iranian regime acquiring nuclear weapons represents the most acute immediate threat to America and our allies," he said.

Cruz continued: "Tonight's actions have gone far in foreclosing that possibility."

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina said, “Americans and the world can thank President Trump for his courage to lead," while Texas Sen. John Cornyn called Trump's actions "courageous and correct" and Florida Sen. Rick Scott said the president's actions show "what peace through strength looks like."

In the House, Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford of Arkansas said he regrets Iran was allowed to become a threat and welcomes Trump's action.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., appears to be first Republican opposing Trump's Iran strikes. In a post to X, in which he shared Trump's Truth Social post about the attack, Massie wrote, "This is not Constitutional."

The U.S. has struck nuclear sites in central Iran, each of which sits south of Tehran.

President Donald Trump's decision to strike Iran’s fortresslike Fordo nuclear enrichment facility likely caused casualties among workers or anyone else still at the site. But it would not trigger a nuclear explosion or a widespread radiological or chemical spill, according to former nuclear officials and experts.

Sitting to the south of Iran’s capital, Tehran, the Fordo plant is used to enrich uranium for the production of nuclear energy or, potentially, a bomb. But although this uranium and its chemical byproducts can be harmful to ingest or touch without protective equipment — they won’t create a wider blast or regional contamination, analysts say.

That would only be the case if Fordo housed nuclear reactors or warheads, which international watchdogs and experts say is not the case.

“If you’re down there and it gets bombed, you’re stuffed,” Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, the ex-commanding officer of the British military’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment, told NBC News on Thursday.

Read the full story here.

Truth Social, President Donald Trump's social media site, appeared to be struggling with outages in the moments after he used the platform to announce three strikes on Iran.

Some users attempting to view the president's post encountered a message stating that "an unexpected error occurred" and "please wait a moment and try again."

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., praised the attacks on Iran, calling them “the right move” by Trump.

“Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities. I’m grateful for and salute the finest military in the world,” Fetterman wrote on X.

His post stands in contrast to early responses to the attacks by other Democrats. Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., called the move “unconstitutional” and “an escalation that risks bringing the U.S. into another endless and deadly war.”

Trump will deliver an address to the nation at 10 p.m. ET regarding the attacks on Iran, the president announced on social media.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., were briefed on the U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, their offices tell NBC News.

President Donald Trump said U.S. air forces dropped bombs on three nuclear sites in Iran today.

"We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan," he said on Truth Social in a statement also distributed to media via email.

Trump said the planes involved are now outside of Iranian airspace.

Trump last week said he would mull over U.S. participation in Israel's strikes against Iran and come up with a decision within two weeks, giving today's airstrikes an element of surprise

"NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!" the president said.

The State Department helped to organize the first flights from Israel for U.S. citizens who want to get out amid the fighting between Israel and Iran that started a little more than a week ago.

While the department last week said family of government employees and nonemergency personnel could leave, it also said it had no information on how they could get out.

Today, the department said it had organized the first departures, two flights from Tel Aviv to Athens, for approximately 70 U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents and their accompanying immediate family members.

Citizens and lawful permanent residents in Israel or the West Bank who want to depart and need help were urged to complete a "crisis intake form" available on the Department of State's website.

Americans who want to leave and can do so without U.S. help are urged to do so, the department said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met separately with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Badr Abdelatty today to discuss the conflict between Israel and Iran.

The ministers met in Istanbul on the sidelines of the 51st session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

In the meeting between Araghchi and Hussein, Hussein stressed the importance of returning to diplomatic efforts and de-escalating the situation, as well as ensuring the protection of Iranian civilians, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The meeting also addressed ways to strengthen bilateral relations between Iraq and Iran, highlighting the importance of continued consultation and coordination on issues of mutual interest, within the framework of mutual understanding and respect for national sovereignty," the ministry said.

In the meeting between Araghchi and Abdelatty, Abdelatty emphasized the importance of a return to diplomacy to prevent a further escalation of the conflict and inflammation of the region, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin said in remarks today that Israel killed Behnam Shahriyari, a person it believes to be responsible for transferring weapons from Iran to Hezbollah.

Defrin did not clarify if Shahriyari was associated with any particular group.

NBC News has not been able to independently verify this claim, and Iran has not commented on Shahriyari’s whereabouts.

People sit outside pitched tents as they take shelter at a bus station in Tel Aviv amid fears of an Iranian missile attack on Saturday.

A senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera that they could target the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center if the war with Israel continues.

The center is an Israeli nuclear installation in the Negev desert.

NBC News has not verified this reporting independently.

The U.S. and Iran continued communicating this weekend, according to a U.S. official, though it is unclear whether the sides' engagement could be considered negotiations.

The administration is not providing additional details about its communication with Iran, nor further information about the U.S. approach to Iran in the coming days.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi previously told NBC News that the U.S. would instruct Israel to halt its strikes if the U.S. were serious about reopening nuclear negotiations. Asked on Friday whether the U.S. would make the request, Trump said, "I think it’s very hard to make that request right now."

Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar accused the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of attempting to carry out an attack against Israelis in Cyprus.

"Thanks to the activity of the Cypriot security authorities, in cooperation with Israeli security services, the terror attack was thwarted," Sa'ar said.

This claim has not been verified by NBC News.

Reuters reported that police in Cyprus arrested a British man on suspicion of terror-related offenses and espionage. The man is believed to have been surveilling a British RAF military base in Akrotiri and the Andreas Papandreou Air Base in Paphos since mid-April.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian told France's President Emmanuel Macron that Iran rejects any suspension of its nuclear activities, according to Iranian semiofficial news agency, Fars News.

Pezeshkian also told Macron that Iran's response to Israel's attacks "will be stronger and more decisive," according to the outlet. Macron said France did not participate in Israel's military attacks or support them.

From navigating tough weather in Australia to being questioned by police in Egypt, Ian Andersen has faced many challenges in his journeys biking across continents and documenting them on social media.

But the American creator, known as “ridewithian” to his 43,300 followers on TikTok, never had war on his list of possible hurdles — until last week. Amid his 29-day trek across Iran, Andersen found himself stuck just after Israeli forces began a “pre-emptive” strike on the country.

The American creator Ian Andersen, known as “ridewithian” to his 43,300 followers on TikTok, documented his departure from Iran in the aftermath of the Israeli attack.  ridewithian via TikTok

As Iran and Israel continue to trade attacks, visitors like Andersen have scrambled to find ways to safely exit the Middle East. He was among several people to document how he was able to depart the country, and he shared his journey with followers.

Read the full story here.

After more than three months in ICE detention, Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil returned to the New York area where his harrowing ordeal first began.

Immigration authorities arrested Khalil, 30, in March at the university housing complex where he lived in New York City. He was quickly transported thousands of miles away to a detention center in Louisiana, where he spent the last few months.

Khalil helped lead student protests over the war in Gaza, where more than 55,000 people have been killed since Israel launched its war against Hamas. The conflict has fueled rising tensions across the Middle East, including the escalating war in Iran.

Read the full story here.

Iran has arrested 22 people in Qom on suspicion of supporting Israel, according to Iranian media ISNA.

The report said the group was arrested for “suspicion of links with the intelligence services” of Israel, “disturbing public opinion, and supporting the criminal regime,” citing the Public Security and Intelligence Police of Qom Province.

Several B-2 bombers took off from Whiteman Air Force base overnight and are headed to Guam, according to two defense officials. 

The Israeli military said the air force struck "dozens of military targets" in southwestern Iran today, including a site where missile launchers were stored.

"IAF fighter jets also struck radar detection system sites used for detection and aerial intelligence gathering, and military infrastructure belonging to the Iranian regime," the IDF said in a statement.

The Houthis said in a statement issued today that they will attack U.S. ships in the Red Sea if the U.S. attacks Iran.

In the statement, the Houthis accused Israel of seeking to eliminate Iran, "which it considers the greatest obstacle to achieving its plans," including domination over the Middle East.

"Based on this, should the Americans become involved in attacking or aggressing against Iran alongside the Israeli enemy, the Yemeni Armed Forces will target their ships and warships in the Red Sea," the statement read.

The Houthis said they are closely monitoring movements in the region and pledged to stand by any Arab or Muslim country subjected to Israeli attacks.

"We will not abandon our brothers in the Gaza Strip, nor will we allow this criminal entity, backed by America, to execute its plans in the region," the Houthis said.

Israel attacked Ahvaz and Shiraz, Iran, in the country’s southwest this afternoon, according to Iranian government-linked news agency Nour News.

Air defense units were engaged, according to the outlet.

Earlier today, the Israeli military said it was striking military infrastructure in southwestern Iran.

Israel attacked a centrifuge manufacturing workshop in Isfahan, Iran, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

This facility is "the third such facility that has been targeted in Israel’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear-related sites over the past week," according to the IAEA's Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.

“We know this facility well," Grossi said. "There was no nuclear material at this site and therefore the attack on it will have no radiological consequences."

Grossi has warned that attacks on Iran's nuclear sites "have caused a sharp degradation in nuclear safety and security."

“Though they have not so far led to a radiological release affecting the public, there is a danger this could occur," Grossi said yesterday.

Israel says it has a killed a veteran Iranian commander, Saeed Izadi, during an attack on the Iranian city of Qom.

“Saeed Izadi led the Palestine Corps of the Quds Forces, who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the October 7 massacre, was eliminated in an apartment in the heart of Qom,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said today. 

NBC News has not been able to independently verify this claim, and Iran has not commented on Izadi's whereabouts.

There are no causalities after a 5.2 magnitude quake hit central Iran yesterday night, according to Iranian media ISNA, citing a report by the Red Crescent.

The earthquake struck about 22 miles southwest of Semnan, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The earthquake was felt in Tehran, Karaj, Qom, Sorkheh and Damavand.

Israeli strikes have killed at least 400 people in Iran including 54 women and children, according to state media, citing the head of Iran’s Ministry of Health Information Center.

“400 dead, 3,056 injured by Israel’s missiles and drones,” said the report. “Of the dead, 54 were women & children. 5 were health workers. The majority of the casualties were civilians.”

Men carry a box across the burnt-out floor of the Iranian Broadcasting Organisation building in Tehran, Iran, on June 19. Majid Saeedi / Getty Images

The latest toll marks a downward revision from the 430 deaths reported earlier by the same outlet. 

Iranian nuclear scientist Isar Tabatabai-Qamsheh has been killed by Israel, according to Iranian state media.

Nournews said Saturday that Tabatabai-Qamsheh and his wife, Mansoureh Haji Salem, were killed at their home. 

“He was a graduate in mechanical engineering with a focus on nuclear engineer and had dedicated year’s of his life to Iran’s nuclear industry,” Nournews said on Telegram.

Since the beginning of the conflict, Israel has killed six top nuclear scientists.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told countries with influence over Israel not to listen to its "poison," as the conflict with Iran enters its ninth day.

Speaking at a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul today, Erdoğan also accused Israel of deliberately sabotaging Iran's nuclear talks with the U.S.

Iran and the U.S. were set for a sixth round of nuclear talks when Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on the country's nuclear facilities two weeks ago. Iran then canceled the talks, calling them "meaningless," and accusing the U.S. of complicity in the strikes.

Erdoğan called for a solution through dialogue, and urged Muslim countries to increase their efforts to impose punitive measures against Israel.

Israeli air force fighter jets are currently striking military infrastructure in southwestern Iran, the Israeli military said in a statement.

Pakistan said on Saturday it would recommend U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, an accolade that he has said he craves, for his work in helping to resolve the recent conflict between India and Pakistan.

Some analysts in Pakistan said the move might persuade Trump to think again about potentially joining Israel in striking Iran’s nuclear facilities. Pakistan has condemned Israel’s action as a violation of international law and a threat to regional stability.

In May, a surprise announcement by Trump of a ceasefire brought an abrupt end to a four-day conflict between nuclear-armed foes India and Pakistan. Trump has since repeatedly said that he averted a nuclear war, saved millions of lives, and grumbled that he got no credit for it.

Pakistan agrees that U.S. diplomatic intervention ended the fighting, but India says it was a bilateral agreement between the two militaries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he "repeatedly" told Israel that Iran has no intention of obtaining nuclear weapons.

Speaking to Sky News Arabia on Saturday, he said, "Russia nor the International Atomic Energy Agency has or ever had any evidence that Iran is preparing to acquire nuclear weapons."

"We have repeatedly informed the Israeli leadership of that.”

Putin added that Russia was ready to support Iran in developing a peaceful nuclear program, saying that Iran had to the right to do so.

Israeli strikes have so far killed at least 430 people in Iran and injured 3,500, state media reported on Saturday.

The death toll in Israel from Iran’s retaliatory strikes remains at 24.

Diplomatic efforts at de-escalating the conflict between Iran and Israel have so far faltered, producing more posturing and platitudes than signs of progress.

At a tense session at the United Nations Security Council yesterday, Iranian and Israeli representatives traded sharp insults and vowed to keep fighting in an inconclusive meeting.

Meanwhile, European diplomats have attempted to revive diplomatic channels, with little to show for it. Iran’s Abbas Araghchi convened with his counterparts — France's Jean-Noël Barrot, Britain’s David Lammy and Germany’s Johann Wadephul — in Geneva. While the meeting provided hope that a return to talks was possible, it did not give any concrete indication that that is the case, The Associated Press reported.

President Donald Trump dismissed the European initiative, saying any diplomatic solution would require U.S. involvement. At the same time, he said yesterday that the conflict would be “very hard to stop,” when asked whether he supported a ceasefire during a potential negotiation phase.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused the U.S. of being involved “from day one” in Israel’s attacks on Iran.

The U.S. sought to distance itself from Israel’s initial attack on Iran nine days ago, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying it was “not involved” in the attack.

But speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul, Araghchi said it the U.S. had been involved from the beginning. In addition, Araghchi suggested in an interview with NBC News last night that the U.S. had used the weeks of negotiations preceding Israel's strikes as "cover" for the attacks.

The Americans “deny it,” he said, but “we have many indications that they have been involved from day one.”

"At this stage, no visible casualties have been identified," Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency service, said on X, adding that teams were on the scene of the damaged two-story building checking if anyone was trapped beneath the rubble.

A picture of a blown-out building scarred with scorch marks and surrounded by mud and rubble appears to show the aftermath of the strike.

It was not immediately clear if it was an Iranian drone strike.

In a post on X today, the Israeli military said Behnam Shahriyari "was eliminated in a precise IDF strike in western Iran." Shahriyari served as a commander of the Iranian Quds Force, the overseas arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

"Shahriyari was responsible for all weapons transfers from the Iranian regime to its proxies across the Middle East," the IDF added.

NBC News has not been able to independently verify the IDF's claim, and Iran has not commented on Shahriyari's whereabouts.

President Donald Trump’s two-week timeline to decide whether the U.S. will strike Iran’s nuclear sites is a familiar one — it’s one he’s repeatedly used since his first term in office.

“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,” he said in a statement issued through White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Trump has promised action on questions or decisions in “two weeks” over a dozen times in the last two months, according to an NBC News review — and he used the same timeline repeatedly during his first term in office.

Read the full story here.

President Donald Trump said the conflict between Iran and Israel is "very hard to stop," after Iran said it would not negotiate over its nuclear program while under threat.

On the tarmac yesterday in Morristown, New Jersey, Trump told reporters that he "might" support a ceasefire during a potential negotiation phase between the two countries, "depending on the circumstances."

"It's very hard to stop, I will say this, it's very hard to stop when you look at it. Israel is doing well in terms of conflict, and I think you would have to say that Iran is doing less well. It's a little bit hard to get somebody to stop."

Iran is uncertain whether it can trust the United States in diplomatic talks after Israel launched an aerial attack on the country only days before scheduled negotiations with American officials, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday in an exclusive interview with NBC News.

Iran’s Foreign Minister: Iran will not resume talks during Israeli strikes

03:12

Asked by NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell whether a deal with the United States could be reached within the two-week time frame recently given by President Donald Trump, Araghchi said it was up to the Trump administration “to show their determination for going for a negotiated solution.”

But he suggested Washington was perhaps not genuinely interested in diplomacy and had merely used talks as a “cover” for Israel’s air attack.

Read the full story here.

Some Americans in Israel have been able to leave the region after a flight arranged by Florida in partnership with a nonprofit organization brought evacuees home after Israeli airspace was closed off for most civilian flights for over a week. 

Americans in Israel flee country after strikes forced flights to stop

02:24

Trump broke with the intelligence community and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard over Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

Asked by NBC News why he disagreed with the assessment of his own intelligence agencies, who said they had no evidence Iran was building a nuclear weapon, Trump responded, “Well, then my intelligence community is wrong.”

Trump — who was on the tarmac in Morristown, New Jersey, this afternoon, after Air Force One landed at the airport — then asked, “Who in the intelligence community said that?”

When told it was Gabbard, he said, “She’s wrong.”

'She's wrong': Trump breaks with Gabbard on Iran assessment

01:01

EXCLUSIVE: Iran not sure it can trust America after Israeli attack, Iran’s foreign minister tells NBC News

Two weeks’ notice: Trump’s deadline on Iran is a familiar one

What could happen if Trump does decide to bomb Iran’s main nuclear site

Tehran neighborhoods empty out as Israel and Iran exchange barrages

Map: The Israel and Iran attacks