Skip next section Gaza health authorities say 30 killed by Israeli fire
06/18/2025June 18, 2025
Gaza health authorities say 30 killed by Israeli fire
Health authorities in on Wednesday reported 30 people killed by Israeli gunfire and strikes.
Medics said airstrikes on homes in the Maghazi refugee camp and Zeitoun neighbourhood in central and northern Gaza killed at least 14 people. Five other people were reported killed in an airstrike on a tent encampment in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
The Palestinian territory’s civil defense agency reported that 11 of the people killed had been awaiting aid trucks.
Civil defense spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told the AFP news agency that 11 people were killed and more than 100 wounded “after the occupation forces opened fire and launched several shells … at thousands of citizens” who had gathered to queue for food in central Gaza.
Earlier, on Tuesday, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza reported that 397 Palestinians had been killed and more than 3,000 wounded while trying to get food since aid deliveries restarted in late May.
The war was preceded by an attack by Hamas-led militants in Israel in October 2023, in which nearly 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage, according to Israel. Israel’s ongoing military offensive has killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, according to to the Health Ministry in Gaza.
Israel’s military said it was looking into the reported deaths of people waiting for food at aid sites. Regarding the other strikes, it said it was “operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities” and taking “feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4w8SK
Skip next section ‘Iranian nation will not surrender’ — Khamenei
06/18/2025June 18, 2025
‘Iranian nation will not surrender’ — Khamenei
Iran’s supreme leader on Wednesday refused to heed US President call for an unconditional surrender.
Ayatollah made his first public remarks since Friday in a statement that was read live on Iranian TV by a presenter.
“Intelligent people who know Iran, the Iranian nation, and its history will never speak to this nation in threatening language because the Iranian nation will not surrender,” the statement on Wednesday said.
“The Americans should know that any US military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage,” it added.
https://p.dw.com/p/4w8bF
Skip next section WATCH: Between Israel and Iran: What’s at stake for Putin’s Russia?
06/18/2025June 18, 2025
WATCH: Between Israel and Iran: What’s at stake for Putin’s Russia?
The Kremlin’s role in the recent Israel–Iran conflict has drawn renewed attention, given its longstanding balancing act between both sides.
DW examines whether these ties now pose a challenge or present an opportunity for Moscow.
https://p.dw.com/p/4w8Bo
Skip next section Two centrifuge production facilities struck in Iran — IAEA
06/18/2025June 18, 2025
Two centrifuge production facilities struck in Iran — IAEA
The UN’s nuclear watchdog said it had information that two facilities in Iran that made centrifuge parts have been hit.
The said: “The TESA Karaj workshop and the Tehran Research Center, were hit.” The agency added that both sites had previously been under IAEA monitoring.
“At the Tehran site, one building was hit where advanced centrifuge rotors were manufactured and tested. At Karaj, two buildings were destroyed where different centrifuge components were manufactured,” the IAEA wrote on X.
Centrifuges are machines used in enriching uranium, a process necessary for nuclear power and also nuclear weapons development.
https://p.dw.com/p/4w89w
Skip next section Iran’s UN ambassador warns of response ‘without restraint’ to Israeli strikes
06/18/2025June 18, 2025
Iran’s UN ambassador warns of response ‘without restraint’ to Israeli strikes
Iran’s ambassador to the , Ali Bahreini, said the country would “respond strongly” to Israel’s “aggression” as well as to the United States, should it join the hostilities.
“We will not show any reluctance in defending our people, security and land,” he told reporters in Geneva. “We will respond seriously and strongly, without restraint.”
Bahreini accused the United States of being “complicit in what Israel is doing.”
“We have given a message to the United States that we will respond very firmly and will stop the aggression by anybody — including the United States,” he said
Bahreini also said were an act of “war against humanity.”
“The deliberate targeting of Iran’s nuclear facilities not only constitutes a grave violation of international law and UN Charter but also risks exposition of all people in our neighborhood to possible hazardous leak,” he said.
“This is not an act of war against our country,” he said. “It is war against humanity.”
Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes. Israel and the United States accuse Iran of working toward a nuclear weapon.
The comments come as thousands flee Tehran and other major cities as Israel and Iran continuing launching strikes on one another.
US President has called for Tehran’s unconditional surrender.
https://p.dw.com/p/4w7yK
Skip next section How close is Iran to getting a nuclear bomb?06/18/2025June 18, 2025
How close is Iran to getting a nuclear bomb?
Andreas Illmer
According to Iran’s government, its nuclear program is purely civilian. Israeli officials, however, say it is aimed at making a nuclear bomb. ‘s high levels of uranium enrichment mean that the step to weapons-grade uranium is very small.
has justified its recent attacks on Iran by saying the country is too close to developing a nuclear bomb.
Such a development would undoubtedly pose an existential threat to Israel, as Iran’s regime has repeatedly declared its intention to destroy Israel.
Despite Tehran’s insistence that its nuclear program serves only civilian purposes, many members of the international community see military potential in it.
https://p.dw.com/p/4w7P2
Skip next section Greece repatriates 105 nationals from Israel
06/18/2025June 18, 2025
Greece repatriates 105 nationals from Israel
The Foreign Ministry in announced that it had repatriated 105 citizens and their family members from Israel.
“The people repatriated were transported to Athens from Sharm El-Sheikh, in Egypt, onboard C-130 and C-27 Greek air force planes,” it said in a statement.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the flight also returned citizens from other countries, including Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Georgia, Switzerland, the United States, Italy, Cyprus, Lithuania, Hungary, Portugal, Romania and Sweden.
Visitors have been rushing to leave Israel amid the increased hostilities with Iran.
https://p.dw.com/p/4w7pB
Skip next section China evacuates nearly 800 nationals from Iran with more to follow
06/18/2025June 18, 2025
China evacuates nearly 800 nationals from Iran with more to follow
‘s Foreign Ministry said nearly 800 citizens had been evacuated from since Israel began launching strikes last week.
“Currently … 791 Chinese nationals have been relocated from Iran to safe areas,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular briefing.
He said another 1,000 people were in the process of being transferred.
Guo went on to say some Chinese nationals had also been evacuated from Israel.
https://p.dw.com/p/4w7US
Skip next section Where does Donald Trump stand on the Israel-Iran conflict?06/18/2025June 18, 2025
Where does Donald Trump stand on the Israel-Iran conflict?
‘s assault on was discussed with Washington before it was launched. “There were no surprises here,” Fox News anchor Brett Bair said after an interview with US President Donald Trump last Friday.
The US government has made clear that it was not actively involved in the attack, although questions arose as to whether this would remain the case when the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz was rerouted from the South China Sea to the Middle East.
And, on Tuesday, Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social that the United States knew the exact location of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
“He is an easy target, but is safe there,” Trump wrote. “We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4w7MV
Skip next section First repatriation flight arrives back in Israel
06/18/2025June 18, 2025
First repatriation flight arrives back in Israel
The first plane carrying Israelis who were stranded abroad because of flight cancellations has landed at Ben Gurion Airport.
“Just a short while ago, the first flight of Operation Safe Return landed at ,” the AFP news agency quoted a statement by the Israeli airports authority as saying.
The flight had been operated by national carrier El Al and brought Israelis home from Larnaca in Cyprus.
Israel’s airspace has been closed since the escalation in hostilities with Iran on Friday, stranding tens of thousands of citizens whose flights to Tel Aviv were canceled.
Israel’s Transportation Ministry has said as many as 150,000 citizens are abroad, and about one-third of them are trying to get home.
https://p.dw.com/p/4w7If
Skip next section IDF reports striking Iranian centrifuge production site among other targets
06/18/2025June 18, 2025
IDF reports striking Iranian centrifuge production site among other targets
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said warplanes had struck an Iranian centrifuge production site in Tehran, along with a number of weapons factories in the latest series of strikes.
“More than 50 Israeli Air Force fighter jets … carried out a series of air strikes in the Tehran area over the past few hours,” the IDF said in a post on X.
“As part of the broad effort to disrupt , a centrifuge production facility in Tehran was targeted.”
The IDF said Iran was using the site to “expand the scope and rate of its uranium enrichment for the purpose of developing nuclear weapons.”
Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear energy program is for civilian purposes only.
Israel’s military also said that a number of weapons factories were hit, “including facilities for producing raw materials and components used to assemble surface-to-surface missiles.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4w7GL
Skip next section Nearly 600 Iranians killed in Israeli airstrikes since hostilities began06/18/2025June 18, 2025
Nearly 600 Iranians killed in Israeli airstrikes since hostilities began
The Washington-based group Human Rights Activists (HRA) said that Israeli airstrikes on have killed at least 585 people and wounded another 1,326 since hostilities escalated last week.
The human rights group said it identified 239 of those killed as civilians and 126 as security personnel.
Iran has not been publishing regular death tolls from the conflict. The most recent number cited by a Health Ministry spokesperson was 224 deaths, announced early on Monday.
HRA cited nongovernmental sources in its report.
The organization previously compiled detailed casualty figures during the 2022 protests following the death of , the 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman who was arrested by Iran’s “morality police” in September of that year. Her death in custody sparked months of anti-government protests across Iran.
https://p.dw.com/p/4w7FH
Skip next section Israel to bring back stranded citizens from abroad
06/18/2025June 18, 2025
Israel to bring back stranded citizens from abroad
Starting Wednesday, the first Israelis stranded abroad during the escalating conflict with Iran are expected to be flown home.
Transport Minister Miri Regev said 100,000 to 150,000 Israelis were currently stranded abroad.
The ministry stated that all of Israel’s commercial aircraft had been sent outside the country to prevent damage to the planes during the air war.
“Tomorrow [Wednesday] we will likely conduct rescue flights from the following destinations: Larnaca [in Cyprus], Athens, Rome, Milan, and Paris,” El Al, the country’s largest airline, announced.
The passengers who are to be taken will be notified throughout the day, El Al said, adding that the flights are already fully booked.
Meanwhile, some of the first returnees have already arrived by sea. On Tuesday evening, a ship carrying around 100 Israeli doctors and other medical personnel arrived in Haifa, according to the news portal Ynet.
https://p.dw.com/p/4w7Cl
Skip next section US closes its embassy in Jerusalem until Friday
06/18/2025June 18, 2025
US closes its embassy in Jerusalem until Friday
Amid mounting speculation about in the growing military conflict between Israel and Iran, the announced that it will close its embassy in Jerusalem until Friday.
“Given the security situation and in compliance with Israel Home Front Command guidance, the US Embassy in Jerusalem will be closed tomorrow (Wednesday, June 18) through Friday (June 20),” the embassy said in a statement posted to its website.
The embassy made no announcement regarding assistance for Americans leaving the “crisis area.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4w7Cm
Skip next section Iran claims it fired hypersonic missiles at Israel
06/18/2025June 18, 2025
Iran claims it fired hypersonic missiles at Israel
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has claimed that it fired hypersonic missiles at Israel in the latest round of overnight strikes between the countries as the conflict entered its sixth day.
Iran warned people in Tel Aviv to prepare for an attack while the military said its hypersonic Fatah-1 missiles were “repeatedly shaking the shelters” in the Israeli commercial hub.
“The 11th wave of the proud Operation Honest Promise 3 using Fatah-1 missiles” was carried out, the Guards said in a statement broadcast on state television.
Hypersonic missiles are harder to intercept as they travel at more than five times the speed of sound and can maneuver midflight.
https://p.dw.com/p/4w7Dx
The post Iran warns of ‘irreparable damage’ if US joins Israel fight appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
