Iran calls Israeli attack a 'betrayal' of diplomacy

06/20/2025June 20, 2025

UN's Guterres warns of 'fire that no one can control'

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of the rapid escalation of the conflict between Israel and Iran, saying that its expansion could "ignite a fire that no one can control."

"The conflict between Israel & Iran is escalating rapidly with a terrible toll, killing & injuring civilians, devastating homes & civilian infrastructure, [and] attacking nuclear facilities," Guterres said on X. "We must not let that happen."

"To the parties to the conflict — the potential parties to the conflict — and to the Security Council as the representative of the international community, I have a simple and clear message: Give peace a chance," Guterres said, addressing the UN Security Council session on the Israel-Iran war.

"We are not drifting toward crisis — we are racing toward it," he added.

06/20/2025June 20, 2025

Switzerland, UK to withdraw embassy staff from Tehran

Switzerland and the United Kingdom said they will withdraw their embassy personnel from Tehran due to the ongoing war between Iran and Israel.

"We have taken the precautionary measure to temporarily withdraw UK staff from Iran," the UK said, adding the embassy will continue to operate remotely.

Switzerland gave a similar reason for its decision. 

"In view of the intensity of military operations in Iran and the highly unstable situation on the ground, the FDFA has decided to temporarily close the Swiss Embassy in Tehran," Switzerland's Federal Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
 

06/20/2025June 20, 2025

UNICEF warns children may begin to die of 'man-made drought' soon in Gaza

The United Nations' children's agency UNICEF warned on Friday that children in Gaza may soon begin to die of thirst, amid a collapse of the enclave's water systems.

"Currently just 40% of drinking water production facilities remain functional in Gaza (87 out of 217)," UNICEF said on Friday. "Without fuel, every one of these will stop operating within weeks."

UNICEF said Gaza now faces a "man-made drought," warning that if an ongoing fuel blockade of over 100 days is not lifted, "children will begin to die of thirst."

The UN body also reported a 50% increase in children between the ages of six months and 5 years old suffering from acute malnutrition between April and May. 

"Because this is man-made, it can be stopped. None of these problems are logistical or technical. They are political. Denial has become policy. If there is political will, the water crisis will be eased overnight," UNICEF said.

06/20/2025June 20, 2025

Dozens killed while seeking aid in Gaza

At least 25 people were killed by Israeli fire while seeking aid in the Gaza Strip on Friday, local health authorities told news agencies.

Those killed were seeking aid at an Israeli-controlled piece of land known as the Netzarim Corridor, which bisects the strip, civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Basal told France's AFP news agency.

The Israeli military told AFP its troops first fired "warning shots" at "suspects" approaching them, before "an aircraft struck and eliminated the suspects in order to remove the threat" when they continued advancing.

Basal added that five more people were killed while awaiting aid in southern parts of Gaza.

Such incidents have become increasingly common since the US and Israel-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) was put in charge of aid distribution.

The United Nations does not work with the foundation, which it has criticized harshly.

The UN's OCHA humanitarian agency has warned that Gaza's entire population of 2 million is at risk of famine. Israel had cut off aid entering Gaza for two months, saying supplies were helping Hamas militants who continue to control the enclave but it has since come under international pressure to allow more aid in.

Since Israel resumed strikes on Gaza in March, more than 5,400 people have been reported killed.

More than 55,700 people have been killed in Gaza since the October 7 Hamas attacks that preceded a retaliatory military offensive by Israel. The casualty numbers come from Gaza's health authorities and the UN considers them reliable. Israel restricts media access to the Gaza Strip, meaning that news agencies are unable to independently verify death tolls.

06/20/2025June 20, 2025

Twelve injured after Iranian missiles in Israel

Some 30 missiles were launched from Iran in Israel's direction.

While most missiles were intercepted, there were hits in the cities of Haifa and Beersheba, according to reports in Israel.

The Rambam hospital in Haifa said it had received 12 people with injuries, two of them severely injured, as a result of the missile strike.

06/20/2025June 20, 2025

Israeli attack on Iran a 'war crime,' Iranian foreign minister says

Speaking to the UN in Geneva, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Israel of committing war crimes.

Araghchi said the Israeli attack, which began last Friday, occurred "in the midst of an ongoing diplomatic process," also calling the potential agreement with the US over its nuclear program "very promising."

"Israel's attack was a betrayal of diplomacy," Araghchi said.

Senior European diplomats are set to hold nuclear talks with Iran later today.

06/20/2025June 20, 2025

Iran launches new round of ballistic missiles, IDF says

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) warned residents in Israel of a new Iranian round of ballistic missiles, urging them to follow instructions.

"Sirens [are] sounding in parts of Israel as Iran launches another round of ballistic missiles," the IDF said on its English-speaking X account.

The Israeli military offered more details on its Hebrew account, saying the air force was working on intercepting the missiles and urging residents to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command.

Israeli media reported that some missiles impacted in Tel Aviv, the Negev Desert and Haifa

06/20/2025June 20, 2025

Turkey's Erdogan warns of surge in migration to Europe amid conflict

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that the ongoing war between Iran and Israel could increase migration to Europe. The statement came following a phone call with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday.

"The outcomes of the spiral of violence triggered by Israeli attacks will also endanger the region and Europe in terms of a potential migration and nuclear leakage," Erdogan said, according to a Turkish presidency post on X.

The Turkish president added that Ankara "has and will continue to endeavor for the cessation of conflicts and establishment of calm."

Erdogan also stressed that the "negotiation table is the only path to the settlement of nuclear disagreements with Iran."

06/20/2025June 20, 2025

Iran ready to discuss uranium enrichment limitations — source

Tehran was ready to discuss limiting its uranium enrichment, a senior Iranian official told Reuters news agency on condition of anonymity. The statement came as European leaders pushed for resuming talks to deescalate the war between Israel and Iran.

Iran would, however, undoubtedly reject any prospect of zero enrichment, Reuters cited the unnamed senior official as saying, especially amid the ongoing Israeli attacks.

"There is no room for negotiations with the US until Israeli aggression stops," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was quoted as saying on Iranian state TV on Friday. He nevertheless added that "even now, if they have something to say, we will listen," in reference to the European foreign ministers meeting with him Friday in Geneva.

A European diplomat was quoted by Reuters as saying the Iranians would be told to return to the negotiating table "to discuss the nuclear issue before the worst-case scenario, while raising our concerns over its ballistic missiles, support to Russia and detention of our citizens."

"The Iranians can't sit down with the Americans, whereas we can," the diplomat added.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said European powers were always ready to talk, given Tehran's commitment to steering clear of nuclear weapons development.

"Now it's Iran's move," he said.

06/20/2025June 20, 2025

Pro-Palestinian activists damage British military planes

Pro-Palestinian activists broke into a Royal Air Force base on Friday, damaging two refueling and transportation planes to protest British military support of Israel.

Palestine Action, a group of pro-Palestinian activists that routinely targets defense firms and other companies linked to Israel, said on Friday that two of its members had entered the Brize Norton base in Oxfordshire in central England. The activists sprayed the engines of the Voyager aircraft with paint, further damaging them with crowbars. They also sprayed paint on the runway.

They left the base without being detained.

"Despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US/ Israeli fighter jets," the group said in a statement, posting a video of the incident on X.

The group argued that not only is the UK "complicit" in Israel's actions, but it's also "an active participant in the Gaza genocide and war crimes across the Middle East."

UK officials strongly condemned the incident, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying such acts of "vandalism" were "disgraceful."

The Defense Ministry and the police said they were investigating, with the latter stressing that "it is our responsibility to support those who defend us."

06/20/2025June 20, 2025

Internet disruptions continue in Iran amid a near-communication blackout

Iran continued to face internet disruptions, with authorities there alleging they were disconnecting the internet because Israel was misusing the network for military purposes.

Internet watchdog Netblocks said on Friday that the country had been disconnected from the global internet for 36 hours.

"Live metrics show national connectivity remains in the low few percent of ordinary levels with only a handful of users able to connect via multi-hop VPNs," Netblocks said in an update on X.

The disruptions have left Iranians inside the country largely unable to follow updates on the evolving conflict with Israel or connect with loved ones.

It has also disrupted media outlets' ability to cover what is happening inside Iran.

DW is among many websites and news outlets banned from working inside the country.

Iran added the Farsi service of DW to a list of sanctioned institutions and individuals in 2022. 

Iran's Foreign Ministry at the time accused the broadcaster, among others,  of "supporting terrorism." 

The ban came in the wake of nationwide protests following the death in custody of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Jina Mahsa Amini on September 16, 2022.

06/20/2025June 20, 2025

Macron calls for halt of Israel's strikes on Iran's 'energy infrastructure'

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Israel to stop its strikes on Iran's "energy infrastructure," while calling for talks to resume on the latter's nuclear program.

"For several days now, France has had a clear, simple voice: there is no justification for strikes against energy infrastructure and civilian populations," Macron told reporters when he arrived at the Paris Air Show.

He stressed that Iran should show willingness to return to the negotiating table.

"It is essential to prioritize a return to substantive negotiations [with Iran] which include nuclear — to move to zero enrichment [by Iran of uranium] — ballistics, to limit Iranian capacities, and the financing of the all the terrorist groups that destabilize the region," Macron added.

06/20/2025June 20, 2025

Maersk suspends vessel calls at Israel's Haifa port

Danish shipping company Maersk said on Friday it was temporarily suspending stops at Israel's Haifa port, as the conflict with Iran further escalated.

While Maersk said it had not experienced any other disruptions to its regional operations, the shipping giant said it made the decision after "careful analysis of threat risk reports in the context of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, specifically regarding the potential risks of calling Israeli ports and the ensuing implications for the safety of our vessel crews."

Privatized in 2022, Haifa port is 70% owned by India's Adani Ports. Israel's Gadot Group holds the remaining 30%.

06/20/2025June 20, 2025

How Israelis view the conflict with Iran

A survey shows the majority of Jewish Israelis support the conflict with Iran, while the majority of Arab Israelis are against itImage: Violeta Santos Moura/REUTERS

Since Israel attacked Iran a week ago, life in Tel Aviv has been dictated by the rhythm of phone alerts issued by Israel's Home Front Command and air raid sirens warning of incoming ballistic missiles from Iran.

DW has spoken to Israelis about how they see the unfolding conflict with Iran.

06/20/2025June 20, 2025

German FM says room for talks if Iran gets 'serious'

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Friday said the door to negotiations was open to Iran but only if the Islamic Republic's leaders began acting "seriously and reliably."

"If there is a seriousness and transparent readiness by Iran to refrain from this [developing a nuclear weapon], then there is a real chance of preventing a further escalation of this conflict, and for that every conversation makes sense," said Wadephul in an interview with MDR, a regional German public broadcaster.

"My colleagues in the United Kingdom, France and also the [EU] High Representative have always said that we are ready to talk," said Wadephul in Geneva. "This requires Iran's serious willingness to renounce any enrichment of nuclear material."

Wadephul also said Iran must put its ballistic missile program on the table, adding, "It's Iran's move now."

Iran has developed numerous short and medium-range ballistic missiles as a deterrent as well as to supply its proxies since the 1980s, but its endeavors have alarmed the international community over concerns that it is tied to Tehran's supposed nuclear ambitions.

The UN previously put Iran's ballistic missile program under restrictions — with UN Security Council Resolution 2231 — but these expired in October 2023.