Summary

Media caption,

Watch: How successful have the US strikes on Iran been?

  1. Lammy urges de-escalation after speaking to Iranian and Israeli counterpartspublished at 19:40 British Summer Time 22 June

    David Lammy, pictured last weekImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    David Lammy, pictured last week

    UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy says he has spoken to his fellow foreign ministers in Iran and Israel today to "stress the need for de-escalation".

    "I urged a diplomatic, negotiated solution to end this crisis," he says, while reiterating that "Iran must never have a nuclear weapon", and that the "US has now taken action to alleviate that threat".

  2. No place for US in Middle East, senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader sayspublished at 19:25 British Summer Time 22 June

    Ghoncheh Habibiazad
    BBC Persian, World Service reporter

    A senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, says "there will no longer be any place for the presence of the United States and its bases" in the region in the wake of US strikes, according to the IRNA news agency.

    Ali Akbar Velayati adds other countries "will become legitimate targets" for Iran if they facilitate the US's actions.

    Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) also says in a statement following the US attacks that Iran has "identified the location from which the aggression took place", according to the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency.

    The scale of US military bases in the region is "not a strength" but it "increases their vulnerability", they add.

    In the region, the US maintains military bases in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Syria.

    Iran has directly attacked a US base in the region before. In 2020, Iran carried out a ballistic missile attack on air bases housing US forces in Iraq, in retaliation for the US killing of General Qasem Soleimani who was the commander of the IRGC's extraterritorial arm, the Quds force.

  3. Trump: We took the bomb out of Iran's handspublished at 19:14 British Summer Time 22 June
    Breaking

    Donald Trump has just posted a long message on Truth Social, taking aim at Republican Congressman Thomas Massie - who criticised the US strikes on Iran as not "constitutional".

    Trump writes: "We had a spectacular military success yesterday, taking the 'bomb' right out of their hands (and they would use it if they could!) but, as usual, and despite all of the praise and accolades received, this 'lightweight' Congressman is against what was so brilliantly achieved last night in Iran."

    The president concludes: "MAGA is not about lazy, grandstanding, nonproductive politicians, of which Thomas Massie is definitely one.

    "Thank you to our incredible military for the AMAZING job they did last night. It was really SPECIAL!!!"

  4. BBC Verify

    Satellite images show US strike damage at two more nuclear sitespublished at 19:07 British Summer Time 22 June

    A satellite image of the Natanz nuclear site, after overnight US attacks, showing black scorch marks, multiple collapsed buildings, and debris throughout the complex.Image source, Maxar
    Image caption,

    A satellite image of the Natanz nuclear site, after overnight US attacks

    By Sebastian Vandermeersch and Benedict Garman

    New high resolution satellite images released by Maxar Technologies have given us an overview of damage at two more nuclear facilities targeted by the US: Isfahan and Natanz (see earlier images from the Fordo site here).

    The Isfahan site had already been partly destroyed by Israel before the US attack last night, but satellite photos show extensive new destruction - black scorch marks, multiple collapsed buildings, and debris throughout the complex.

    Satellite images also show two craters at the Natanz enrichment facility.

    We know that two underground facilities were targeted by comparing these recent images and the locations of the craters and the debris with images from 2003, which show the Natanz structures uncovered, before it was buried.

    These kinds of crater are consistent with those seen at the Fordo nuclear site, where the US also deployed its GBU-57 “bunker buster” bombs which penetrate deeply before detonating.

    Natanz had also been struck by Israel before.

    The Isfahan siteImage source, Maxar
    Image caption,

    The Isfahan site, seen after the US attacks

  5. US 'must receive response for their aggression' - Iranian presidentpublished at 18:48 British Summer Time 22 June

    Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian sitting down at a table with a tablet and table mic in front of him as he speaks. He's sitting in a high-back grey chair wearing a dark blue jacket and blue-striped shirtImage source, Iranian Presidency via Getty Images

    Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says the US "must receive a response for their aggression" after a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron.

    In a statement released on the Iranian presidency's website, Pezeshkian says Iran has been "subjected to military aggression" and has "defended ourselves steadfastly".

    "We have always stated that we are ready to engage and negotiate within the framework of international law, but instead of accepting logic, the other side has demanded the surrender of the Iranian nation," he says.

    Pezeshkian adds: "Our nation will never surrender to bullying and oppression, and it is natural that it will respond appropriately to aggression."

  6. Trump, Netanyahu and Araghchi: What have the key players said?published at 18:34 British Summer Time 22 June

    Trump stands behind a podium and speaks, flanked by Vance, Rubio and Hegseth. They all wear suits.Image source, Getty Images

    US:

    • In a televised address, US President Donald Trump described strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran a "spectacular military success" and said the facilities had been "completely and totally obliterated"
    • Trump then called on Iran to "make peace", warning future attacks will be "far greater" if not
    • Vice-President JD Vance told NBC the US is not interested in a protracted conflict in the Middle East and last night's attack was a "narrow and limited approach" to ensure peace in the region

    Iran:

    Israel:

  7. Seven IRGC members killed in attacks on Iran's central provincepublished at 18:09 British Summer Time 22 June

    Ghoncheh Habibiazad
    BBC Persian, World Service reporter

    Seven IRGC members and two conscripts were killed in attacks today, according to the Al-Ghadir Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) unit of Iran's Yazd province.

    Reported by the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency, the unit adds several individuals have been injured in the attacks.

    Earlier today, the IRGC said in a statement that Israel had targeted two military zones in the province, Iran's Mehr news agency reported on Telegram.

    Israel says it has killed several senior members of the IRGC since 13 June, including Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the IRGC, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of its Aerospace Force, and Mohammad Kazemi, head of the IRGC intelligence unit.

  8. UK, France and Germany urge Iran not take further action in joint statementpublished at 17:51 British Summer Time 22 June

    Friedrich Merz, Emmanuel Macron and Sir Keir Starmer speaking to press outdoors during G7 in CanadaImage source, AFP via Getty Images

    The UK, France and Germany have called on Iran not to take any further action that could "destabilise" the Middle East.

    In a joint statement, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz say they have been "consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon" and they support the security of Israel.

    The statement addresses the US strikes and adds: "Our aim continues to be to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon".

    The leaders urge Iran to "engage in negotiations" to secure an agreement that "addresses all concerns associated with its nuclear programme".

    "We stand ready to contribute to that goal in coordination with all parties," they say.

  9. Israeli details impact of Iranian strike that destroyed his homepublished at 17:36 British Summer Time 22 June

    Ione Wells
    Reporting from Ness Ziona

    Eran Levi looks at the camera. He has a brown beard and brown hair and blue eyes, He is wearing a grey t-shirt.

    Eran Levi says his house was destroyed and his dog was badly injured by Iranian strikes last night in Ness Ziona.

    “The electricity was off instantly. We couldn’t communicate from the outside world. Ten minutes later security forces came and evacuated us from the safe house," he says.

    He remains fully supportive of the Israeli government striking Iran. “I’m willing to accept it if Israel wins. On October 7, we had a big defeat - no more,” he says.

    “We’ll be evacuated to a hotel. My life is going to change for a few months. That’s going to pass.”

    Debris and rubble is visible on a building that has been partly destroyed. Four Israeli flags are on a wall in front of the building. Two cars are parked in front of the wall.
  10. 11 injured in US strikes - Iran Red Crescentpublished at 17:18 British Summer Time 22 June

    BBC Monitoring

    The Red Crescent in Iran says 11 people sustained minor injuries during the US's strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and seven of them have been discharged from hospital.

    It adds no radiation has been detected at the nuclear sites targeted by the US.

    Iran's Red Crescent chief Pirhossein Koulivand says three rescue workers were also killed in separate Israeli strikes in various locations in the country and a Red Crescent helicopter was hit.

    Koulivand then accuses Israel of targeting hospitals, medical centres and a care home for people with disabilities.

  11. US has no interest in protracted conflict in Middle East - JD Vancepublished at 17:11 British Summer Time 22 June

    Vance speaks behind a podium wearing a suit.Image source, Getty Images

    Vice President JD Vance says the US has no interest in a "protracted conflict" in the Middle East, and last night's attack was a "narrow and limited approach" to ensure peace in the region.

    Speaking to ABC News, Vance says the US's strikes has set back Iran's nuclear weapons programme "substantially" by "years or beyond that". He then urges the Iranian government to "choose the smart path" and work with the US to "dismantle that nuclear programme".

    "We don't want Iran to have a nuclear weapon, and I think that goal is going to continue to animate American policy for the next few years," he says.

    The US will be having "conversations with the Iranians" about their stockpile of enriched uranium, he says, "to ensure that we do something with that fuel".

    Vances also warns Iran against attacks on US troops, saying it will be met with "overwhelming force".

  12. Iran says the country’s nuclear knowledge ‘cannot be destroyed'published at 16:50 British Summer Time 22 June

    Ghoncheh Habibiazad
    BBC Persian, World Service reporter

    Spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi looks ahead wearing a blazer.Image source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi says this is not the first time Iran's nuclear industry has been damaged

    Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation (AEOI) spokesman says the country's knowledge in nuclear energy "cannot be destroyed", according to Iran's official news agency IRNA.

    Behrouz Kamalvandi says the nuclear industry has roots in Iran and "these roots cannot be destroyed".

    "We have suffered damage, but this is not the first time that the industry has suffered damage," he adds.

    Similarly, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said that Iran’s nuclear programme is based on "domestic nuclear knowledge" which cannot "be destroyed by bombing".

  13. Watch: Israeli strikes ongoing in central Iranpublished at 16:41 British Summer Time 22 June

    Media caption,

    Smoke billows into the air in Iran's Yazd region after Israeli strikes

    As we've been reporting, Israeli strikes in Iran are ongoing in the wake of the US's attack on three nuclear sites.

    Israel's air force says earlier today 30 fighter jets "attacked dozens of military targets across Iran, using more than 60 munitions".

    The first in the wave of attacks targeted a "strategic missile headquarters in the Yazd region", they say, before adding "military sites" were attacked in Isfahan, Bushehr and Ahvaz.

    The BBC has now verified footage of the strikes in the Yazd region in central Iran.

  14. UN Security Council to hold emergency sessionpublished at 16:23 British Summer Time 22 June

    The UN Security Council will hold an emergency session later today in the wake of US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.

    Earlier today, Iran requested a meeting of the 15-member body to address the US action, which it called "outrageous", warning it will have "everlasting consequences".

    For context: The US is one of five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. The other permanent members are China, France, Russia, and the UK

  15. US is main ‘instigator’ in Israeli attacks - Iranian presidentpublished at 16:16 British Summer Time 22 June

    Ghoncheh Habibiazad
    BBC Persian, World Service reporter

    Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks behind a podium.Image source, EPA

    Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the US attacks on three Iranian nuclear sites show the country is “the main instigator behind” Israeli strikes against Iran.

    During a cabinet meeting, Pezeshkian accused the US of “trying to conceal their involvement at the beginning,” but said “they were ultimately forced to intervene directly".

    He added Iranian attacks on Israel today were a “response” to the US attacks, and Israel “neither has the capacity nor the courage to act alone” against Iran.

    In the last hour, agencies are also reporting Pezeshkian is attending a protest against the strikes in Iran. In videos online, the president is seen walking through the crowd, smiling and shaking hands with demonstrators.

  16. Iran 'played us' so Trump had to take action, Rubio sayspublished at 16:07 British Summer Time 22 June

    US Secretary of State Marco RubioImage source, Reuters

    US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Iran "played" the US in negotiations over their nuclear programme, prompting President Donald Trump to take action.

    He tells Fox News the US offered to let Iran have a civil nuclear programme, but “they rejected it”. Rubio also repeated his view that Iran should never have nuclear weapons.

    “They played us. They wouldn’t respond to our offers. They disappeared for 10 days. The president had to take action as a response," he says.

    Rubio also warns any retaliation from Iran would be their biggest mistake.

    “We are not declaring war on Iran. We’re not looking for war in Iran. But if they attack us, I think we have the capabilities they haven’t even seen yet," he says.

    Earlier today, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran has never left the negotiating table. Instead, he said talks were interrupted by Israeli attacks, followed by the US strikes.

  17. US bombs Iran's nuclear sites - what we knowpublished at 15:45 British Summer Time 22 June

    Developments have been coming in thick and fast since the US carried out strikes against Iranian nuclear sites overnight.

    We're taking a brief look back at the US strikes themselves in case you need a reminder.

    • The US hit three sites in Iran - Fordo, a uranium enrichment plant hidden in a remote mountainside, Natanz and Isfahan
    • Israeli officials say they were in "full co-ordination" with the US in planning these strikes
    • The US contacted Iran through diplomatic channels on Saturday to say the air strikes were all it intended to do - later, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes were not about regime change
    • It's uncertain how much damage the strikes have caused to the nuclear facilities, but the US says it has "devastated' the Iranian nuclear programme
    • The UN nuclear watchdog says there has been "no increase" in off-site radiation levels reported

  18. As tensions escalate, markets remain calmpublished at 15:34 British Summer Time 22 June

    Charlotte Edwards
    Business reporter

    Currently, most markets are closed for the weekend, with the exception of cryptocurrencies, which have shown little reaction. Bitcoin has remained stable.

    Most stock markets in the Middle East were trading higher on Sunday despite concern surrounding the escalating tension in the region and its impact on trading.

    Brent crude oil is set to reopen for trading tonight. It had climbed earlier in the year during the initial stages of the Israel-Iran conflict, closing on Friday at around $77 per barrel. That’s up from around $65 before the conflict - a roughly 10% increase.

    However, it's worth noting that oil has traded within this range for much of the past year.

    For context, during the spring of 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, oil prices spiked significantly higher, reaching $112 per barrel. This highlights how current levels, while elevated, are not unprecedented.

  19. Why did the US attack Iran and what are the consequences? How our experts answered your questionspublished at 15:27 British Summer Time 22 June

    Your voice Your BBC News logo

    A little earlier, our correspondents answered your questions about the recent strikes the US carried out against Iran, and what it means for the wider region.

    Here's a look at what you've been asking, and how they've been answering:

    • When asked how significant is this moment, John Simpson answered again, stressing that for the US to start dropping bombs on a country like Iran - "it's very important"
  20. Dozens of military targets attacked across Iran, Israeli military sayspublished at 15:22 British Summer Time 22 June

    The Israeli military is continuing to strike Iran in the wake of US bombs striking three nuclear sites.

    The country's air force says that earlier today 30 fighter jets "attacked dozens of military targets across Iran, using more than 60 munitions".

    The first in the wave of attacks targeted a "strategic missile headquarters in the Yazd region", they say, before adding "military sites" were attacked in Isfahan, Bushehr and Ahvaz.

    As a reminder, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says the US "devastated the Iranian nuclear programme" in overnight strikes on three sites - Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan.