Satellite images show extent of damage to Natanz nuclear sitepublished at 17:22 British Summer Time 14 June

17:22 BST 14 June

Image source, Reuters

By Paul Brown

Satellite imagery taken this morning by Maxar Technologies reveals damage to several buildings at Iran's Natanz nuclear site following Israeli strikes yesterday.

The location of the damage is consistent with verified footage from the scene captured yesterday which showed columns of smoke rising from the site.

The image shows severe damage to three buildings, and burn marks around two other structures - one of which appears to be an electrical substation.

Yesterday the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, told the UN Security Council that "the above-ground part of the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant, where Iran was producing uranium enriched up to 60% U-235, has been destroyed".

The images released by Maxar also show the Fordow enrichment facility and Arak heavy water reactor, although no obvious damage is evident at either site.

Iranian media reported that Fordow was targeted yesterday, but the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has denied this.

Image source, Reuters

Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has warned of a "more severe" response if Israel continues its attacks.

"The continuation of Zionist [Israeli] aggression will be met with a more severe and powerful response from the Iranian armed forces," Pezeshkian says, according to state media.

He reportedly made these comments during a phone call with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

How we verified an Israeli strike on an airport in Tehranpublished at 16:57 British Summer Time 14 June

16:57 BST 14 June

By Shayan Sardarizadeh

Social media users in Iran have been sharing footage showing the aftermath of Israeli strikes on Mehrabad airport, in west Tehran.

We have authenticated it. Here's how we did it:

One video, filmed from the vicinity of the airport, shows a fire with two thick columns of black smoke rising into the sky.

A second video, filmed from a car driving on Saidi highway, which runs adjacent to Mehrabad airport, shows the same two thick columns of smoke.

An Iranian man filming the video is heard to say: “This is Mehrabad… it’s 2:28am.”

Matching this with bird's-eye views of the airport and the highway on Google Earth, we can estimate that the impact of the strike was near a number of hangars in an area behind the main airport building.

Reports published by Iranian media today confirm a blast in an area behind the airport’s fourth terminal, adding that hangars housing Iranian fighter jets were the target.

Mehrabad was Tehran’s primary international airport until 2007, but now mainly serves domestic flights.

The next round of US-Iran nuclear talks set for Sunday will not go ahead, mediator Oman's foreign minister Badr Albusaidi says.

"The Iran US talks scheduled to be held in Muscat this Sunday will not now take place," he writes on X. "But diplomacy and dialogue remain the only pathway to lasting peace."

Earlier, Iran’s foreign minister has said continuing talks with the US is “unjustifiable” given the current situation.

• What are the US-Iran talks about? Find out more here

Image source, GPO

We can now bring you more from Benjamin Netanyahu as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continues to strike targets across Iran.

The Israeli prime minister says his country aims to "thwart a dual threat" from Tehran - namely, "nuclear and ballistic missiles" - and says Israel has achieved its goals.

"We cannot afford for them to be able to build production capabilities for 20,000 missiles, so we have taken action to destroy their production capabilities, and that's what the IDF is doing now."

He adds: "We have paved a path to Tehran. In the very near future, you will see Israeli planes, the Israeli Air Force, our pilots, over the skies of Tehran."

Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent, reporting from Rishon LeZion

Here in Rishon LeZion, on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, an Iranian attack has turned a quiet suburban street into rubble and dust.

The force of the strike upended cars, razed homes, and killed at least two people in the city.

Twisted steel wiring pokes out from chunks of concrete and splintered wood. Scattered among the wreckage are children's toys and books.

Near me, a man carries away what looks to be a large oil painting, miraculously untouched in the attack.

All morning, families have been returning to the scene of this attack to try and recover what they can from what's left of their homes.

Earlier, we reported comments from Iran’s foreign minister, who said talks with the US on a nuclear agreement are now "unjustifiable".

Now, Iran's foreign ministry has given another update. A spokesperson, responding to reporters’ questions about the negotiations with the US that were set for Sunday, said: "Iran’s main focus in the current situation is countering enemy aggression."

He also accused the US of supporting Israel’s operation, adding that holding talks with such a supporter would be "fundamentally meaningless".

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country will strike "every site and every target of the ayatollah regime" in Iran.

"We have dealt a very severe blow to Iran's main enrichment site and if necessary we will also hit it again," he says in a newly-released video message.

"There is a huge threat from ballistic missiles, we have taken action to destroy Iran's ballistic missile production capabilities," he adds.

We’ll soon bring you more from his statement.

The Israeli military says it has killed the head of intelligence for Iran’s armed forces, Gholam-Regha Merhabi.

They now say they have killed more than 20 Iranian military commanders since their operation began.

The Israel Defense Forces say Merhabi was involved in intelligence work and managing attacks on Israel over the past year.

Earlier today, Iran’s state-run media reported that Gen Mehdi Rabbani, the deputy head of operations, was also killed in the strikes.

• For more on Iranian commanders whose deaths had previously been confirmed, you can read this piece

Joe Inwood
World news correspondent

Benjamin Netanyahu has long signalled his desire to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities, meaning Tehran has long prepared for any such attack.

From the very beginning, Israel targeted Iran’s air defences. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has released multiple videos showing missile batteries being destroyed.

This afternoon, IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin says Israel has “air freedom all the way to Tehran”.

But air defences are not the only thing protecting Iran’s extensive nuclear operations.

Many of Iran’s most important facilities are buried deep underground, protected by layers of earth and reinforced concrete.

The fuel enrichment plant at Fordow, for example, is thought to be around 80m (262ft) below the surface, while analysts say a new facility at Mt Kolang is even deeper.

Targeting sites like this requires specialist bombs, such as the GBU-57/B, or Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP). Colloquially known as "bunker busters", this huge 30,000lb bomb is capable of destroying targets buried under about 60m of reinforced concrete.

But the US is not currently taking part in the strikes, and Israel does not possess the MOP.

As for what they do have, the most effective weapons they possess are the ROCKS or the Air LORA, air-launched ballistic missiles capable of destroying up to 6m of reinforced concrete.

According to Justin Bronk of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), attacking a deep facility with these would require multiple precise strikes at the same point to "burrow down".

With each strike destroying around 6m of concrete, reaching sites like Fordow or Mt Kolang looks like a remote prospect.

According to Alon Pinkas, who advised two Israeli prime ministers, Israel simply does not possess the stocks of munitions for the task.

The more realistic option would be to target entry and exit tunnels, rendering the facilities unusable.

The issue with this strategy, according to the RUSI report, is that Iranian efforts to dig down to the facilities and re-establish access "would likely begin almost immediately". All of which serves to explain why Bronk and others say destroying Iran's nuclear programme through military means is "not feasible". Undoubtedly it can be set back, especially through the extensive assassinations of top scientists, but as long as the regime survives, it will attempt to build back.

As fighting between Iran and Israel moves into a second day, the BBC World Service has put out a special edition of the Global News Podcast.

The episode looks at the mood in both countries and asks where the conflict could go next - you can listen on BBC Sounds.

About an hour ago, an IDF spokesperson has held a press conference, saying that the military is "still striking" in different parts of Iran.

Effie Deffrin says a "series" of strikes against various targets have taken place in the last 24 hours, with more than 150 hit.

In Tehran, missiles and air defence systems were among the targets, she adds, while a nuclear site in Isfahan was also hit.

Image source, Reuters

Ghoncheh Habibiazad
BBC Persian

Image source, Reuters

Iran’s foreign minister says continuing nuclear talks with the US is “unjustifiable”.

Abbas Araqchi tells Kaja Kallas, the EU foreign policy chief, that given the current situation and what he calls the “savagery” of Israel, talks can’t be justified.

Iran has been quick to blame the US since Israel’s attacks began.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump still appears optimistic and has called on Iran to accept the nuclear deal.

So far, the US and Iran have held five rounds of talks, mediated by Oman in April and May.

The main sticking point is said to be uranium enrichment on Iranian soil.

Recent strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites mean it will take time for the country to rebuild its previous facilities.

As we've been reporting, tensions between Israel and Iran have risen just days before planned nuclear talks between Iran and the US, set for Sunday.

But what are the talks about?

During Donald Trump's first term, the US pulled out of a previous nuclear deal with Iran and other world powers.

The deal, made in 2015, set limits on what Iran could do with its nuclear programme.

In return, world powers, including the US, agreed to lift sanctions on Iran.

Trump pulled out of the deal in 2018 and brought back economic sanctions on the country.

Since the US pulled out, Iran has broken key commitments, including installing thousands of advanced centrifuges, which are machines used to enrich uranium.

Iran insists its nuclear programme is for civilian use only and says it is not seeking nuclear weapons, though other countries remain unconvinced.

The recent US-Iran talks are aimed at reaching a new agreement.

Last week, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the global nuclear watchdog, officially declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in 20 years.

Israel says its current operation is targeting military sites, including nuclear facilities.

Image source, PA Media

We've just had an update from Downing Street.

The spokesperson says Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this afternoon.

"They discussed the gravely concerning situation in the Middle East and agreed on the need to de-escalate," the spokesperson says.

The statement adds that the UK is ready to work closely with its allies in the coming days to support a diplomatic resolution.

BBC Monitoring

Iran says it’s still undecided about participating in the scheduled nuclear negotiations with the US in Oman on Sunday in view of Israel's attacks.

Tehran says Israeli strikes were conducted with Washington’s approval and therefore render negotiations with the US "meaningless".

Foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqai told state TV on Saturday that a final decision about attending the planned sixth round of talks over Iran’s nuclear programme remains unclear.

On Friday, Baqai declared there was "no point" in continuing the talks following Israeli strikes, which killed multiple senior military officials and nuclear scientists.

On Thursday, the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency formally declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in 20 years.

In an update, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says seven of its soldiers were "lightly injured" overnight after an Iranian missile hit central Israel.

The military adds that the soldiers were taken to hospital and have since been released.

Tom Bennett
Reporting from Rishon LeZion

Image source, BBC/Tom Bennett

Ifat Benhaim says she and her family ran into their basement as sirens rang out across Israel last night.

“We closed the door, and suddenly there was such a big boom,” she says, “I thought all the house fell on us.”

“And then it was all dark.”

Once they made it out, they saw destruction across the neighbourhood. Multiple houses with their roofs caved in, glass littering the street - and at least 30 cars seriously damaged, with smashed windows and huge dents.

Two of her neighbours - who she’d regularly say hi to in the street - were killed. "It's a tragedy," she says.

This city, Rishon LeZion, just outside Tel Aviv, was one of the worst hit areas from last nights Iranian missile barrage.

Now, Ifat, her husband Zion, and six younger relatives, are moving their possessions out of the home they’ve lived in for 29 years - and deciding where they’ll stay tonight.

Tom Joyner
Live reporter

I've been chatting to TK, a high school student in Tehran. She tells me she's too terrified to leave her apartment at the moment.

Over the last day and night, she's been listening to explosions across the city. As night falls, the blasts appear to grow louder.

Like many people in Iran, she's in constant contact with her family and friends to check if they are safe.

"The main conversation between everyone is that they can’t sleep," TK says.

As Israeli attacks continue, she's trying to stay focused on her college entrance exam in two weeks. She's been working towards it for years, but the idea now seems remote.

"Of course I really want to leave Iran ASAP," she says. "But I can’t afford the money."

Image source, Reuters

We've been reporting today on a second night of fighting between Iran and Israel. Iran targeted Israel with retaliatory strikes overnight, after Israel struck Iran's nuclear facilities and military sites earlier.

Here's what we've been following:

• Israel says it struck "dozens" of targets in Tehran overnight, including surface-to-air missile infrastructure
• Sixty people, including 20 children, were killed in an Israeli strike on a residential building in Tehran, Iranian state media reports
• In Israel three people have been killed by retaliatory strikes from Iran and dozens are injured, officials say
• Our diplomatic correspondent James Landale asks: What might happen if the US was dragged into the conflict? Things would dramatically escalate if Donald Trump felt forced to act

• Israel's defence minister Israel Katz warns "Tehran will burn" if Iran keeps firing missiles
• The IDF says it has killed nine Iranian nuclear scientists and experts, a higher figure than the six it initially said were killed in the wave of strikes it launched on Thursday
• Iran warns it will target UK, US and French military bases in the region if those countries offer Israel assistance to stop Tehran's strikes, according to state media