Azadeh Moshiri
Pakistan correspondent

Pakistan has been walking a tightrope. How to reconcile a growing relationship with the Oval Office, and support for a neighbouring country the US has now bombed?

On Saturday, Pakistan was not only praising Donald Trump as a “genuine peacemaker,” but formally nominating him for a Nobel Peace Prize. Just 24 hours later, the US officially joined Israel, a country whose actions Pakistan has called “barbaric”, in attacking Iran.

After thanking Trump for his “stellar statesmanship”, Pakistan is now condemning the attacks he sanctioned, accusing them of violating the norms of international law.

The about-turn is hard to ignore. On social media, Pakistani politicians and the general public are making heavy use of the words “awkward” and “embarrassing”.

The former ambassador to the US, Maleeha Lodhi, has said “ingratiation cannot serve as a policy".

Mushaheed Hussain, a former chair of the Senate Defence Committee, had initially commended the nomination and argued if it “panders to Trump’s ego”, so be it, because the Europeans have done the same.

A day later, he told me while he backs the government’s condemnations, Pakistan should also “revise, revoke and rescind” the submission. He accused Trump of being a “warmonger”.

That tightrope is getting incredibly thin.

Dan Johnson
Reporting from Jerusalem

Israel’s Air Force says it is targeting military infrastructure this morning in Kermanshah in western Iran.

Overnight, 20 Israeli jets were in action, hitting missile storage and launch facilities as well as radar and satellite systems.

Israel has vowed to continue striking Iran to further limit its ballistic missile capability and last night’s raids are reported to be one of the most intense attacks of this conflict.

Iran appears to have fired just one missile towards Israel overnight - there was an air raid alert at around 03:00 local time (01:00 BST).

Israeli officials say it was shot down by an American air defence system, another symbol of US support and perhaps a sign of how stretched Israeli defences are.

A single Iranian drone was also downed this morning close to Eilat on Israel’s southern coast.

Iran’s so far limited response may show how depleted its missile capability is after ten days of Israeli strikes.

Or more likely, the Iranian leadership is marking time while considering its next move and how to deliver the retaliation it has promised in response to the US bombing.

Image source, Reuters

America's intervention in Iran dominates the UK's front pages on Monday.

The potential impact at home is splashed across a handful of front pages: the Daily Mail describes fears of "Iran terror backlash" while "UK terror threat rises" reads the Daily Express's headline.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged de-escalation and a return to the negotiating table - which is described as "calls for calm" by the Daily Mirror but a "frantic diplomatic push" by the i Paper.

But the Sun carries the headline "Stick it up your bunker" - a play on its 1982 "stick it up your junta" splash published as Argentina's forces offered to engage in peace talks during the Falklands War.

Several papers take a more international view, pointing out that Trump campaigned on ending American "foreign entanglements" but has instead, according to the Daily Telegraph, made himself a "war-time leader".

The Guardian similarly deems the strikes "the most consequential intervention in a conflict in a generation" which risks dragging the US into a "drawn-out war Trump had promised to avoid".

• You can take a look at the front pages here

If you're just joining us, let’s catch up with the latest developments after the US carried out strikes against Iranian nuclear sites:

• US President Donald Trump floated the possibility of "regime change" in Iran, asking "why wouldn’t there be a regime change" if the current regime could not make Iran great again
• Trump also hailed "monumental damage" with its strikes on "all nuclear sites in Iran" - even though the UN's nuclear watchdog could not immediately verify the exact degree of damage
• Iran's foreign minister is visiting Moscow, where he is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin
• A war of words broke out in the UN: Israel's top envoy said the entire world should say thank you to Trump while the Iranian counterpart criticised the "blatant US aggression"
• Protesters have taken to the streets in several cities worldwide, condemning the US strikes

• The B-2 stealth jets which carried out the bombing have returned to US bases - watch the video here

Steve Rosenberg
Russia editor

Image source, Getty Images

Iran’s foreign minister - who is in Moscow for talks at the Kremlin - says that he will have “serious and important discussions” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, touching on “common challenges and threats”.

Russia has condemned the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities with the Russian ambassador at the UN saying America had "opened a Pandora’s box".

If Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi does meet Putin later today, he’s likely to receive strong words of support from the Kremlin leader but military assistance from Moscow appears unlikely.

For a start, Russia’s priority right now is its war with Ukraine. True, Russia and Iran do have a strategic partnership agreement, but it is not a defence pact and does not oblige Moscow to provide military support for Tehran.

Last week Putin claimed that Iran hadn’t requested military assistance from Moscow and it was clear from his comments that he was in no rush to provide any. The Kremlin has been keen to maintain good relations with both Iran and Israel - and build a good working relationship with Donald Trump.

We have just got the footage showing US B-2 bombers returning to the US, following the first US strikes in Iran in decades.

Have a watch:

Iran is “going to respond in some fashion. What that will be it’s tough to say”, Lt Gen Mark C. Schwartz, former US Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority tells the BBC.

Lt Gen Schwartz's primary concern is for US forces stationed at bases in Iraq, Jordan and Syria over those in Bahrain and Kuwait.

Iran has several proxies throughout the region that could act on its behalf. Kata'ib Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Iraqi Shia militia group, would be the most viable of those to do so, followed by the Houthis in Yemen, he says.

The US designated Kata'ib Hezbollah, also known as the Hezbollah Brigades, as a foreign terrorist organisation in 2009.

There are “no shortage” of military targets in Iran for Israel to continue to go after or the United States either should its own forces be hit, but “ideally, we’ll get them back to the table” Lt Gen Schwartz adds.

Decoy flights and stealth bombers - how US says it hit Iran nuclear sitespublished at 04:58 British Summer Time 23 June

04:58 BST 23 June

A continuous flight over 18 hours, multiple mid-air refuelings, and a series of decoys - this is how the mission to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities played out, according to four-star General Dan Caine, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest-ranking officer in the US military.

Although the full impact of what the US is calling 'Operation Midnight Hammer' is still unclear, a timeline of how the complex mission unfolded was laid out in a Pentagon briefing on Sunday morning, mere hours after the strikes.

It all began just after midnight when Secretary Hegseth joined US President Donald Trump, Vice-President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and top Pentagon staff in the Situation Room at the White House to watch as a fleet of aircraft departed an American airbase in rural Missouri.

Under the cover of darkness, B-2 stealth bombers took off from Whiteman Air Force Base at 00:01 EDT (05:01 BST), according to the Pentagon.

Their ultimate target: Iran's most secure nuclear sites.

• Read more on this story here

Image source, Getty Images

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his country is fully behind the US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, and urges all sides to return to the negotiating table.

"We don't want escalation and a full-scale war," he says at a press conference in the nation's capital Canberra, alongside Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

"We continue to call for dialogue and for diplomacy," Albanese says, calling on Iran not to take "any further action that could destabilise the region".

Mixed messaging from Trump and Vance adds risk to troopspublished at 04:18 British Summer Time 23 June

04:18 BST 23 June

Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent

The day after the US attack on Iranian nuclear sites has come and gone, and the waiting game continues.

Iran once again launched missiles at Israel, but the threat of an immediate salvo against American forces in the region – which include more than 40,000 troops – never materialised.

Throughout the day US officials had been stressing that the American attacks were not part of a larger offensive effort. Those assurances, combined with Donald Trump’s Saturday night warning of an overwhelming response to Iranian aggression, seemed to have convinced Iran’s leaders to hold their fire – at least for now.

“We’re not at war with Iran,” Vice-President JD Vance said during a morning television interview. “We’re at war with Iran’s nuclear program.”

The president himself may have complicated this effort by Sunday evening, with his Truth Social post raising the prospect of Iranian regime change.

While, in typical Trump style, it was framed as a question, his words stood in sharp contrast to his advisers’ efforts and may give the Iranians pause. If they feel their hold on power is directly at risk, their calculations on next steps to take could change.

Image source, Getty Images

It's coming up to 06:30 in Iran and 06:00 in Israel (04:00 BST), more than 24 hours since the US launched surprise strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran.

Here are the latest developments:

• In an address to the nation shortly after the strikes, US President Donald Trump said Iran must "now make peace", warning future attacks will be "far greater"
• The "highly classified" strikes were carried out by B-2 stealth bombers, targeting underground nuclear facilities at Fordo and Natanz as well as Isfahan, a Pentagon briefing revealed
• Donald Trump posted online saying "monumental damage" had been done to "all" of Iran's nuclear sites
• Tehran said Trump had "betrayed" Iran as well as Americans with the strikes and said there would be "everlasting consequences"
• The UN said the strikes were a "dangerous escalation" that could spiral "rapidly" while its nuclear watchdog said it wasn't able to properly assess the damage
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Trump's "bold decision" while the strikes prompted mixed reaction from US lawmakers
• Trump's decision to join the Iran-Israel conflict may result in political blowback, the BBC's North America correspondent writes
• Iran and Israel have continued to trade fire with military sites targeted from both sides- Israel reported a number of injuries while Iran said there were several fatalities
• The UK confirmed it wasn't involved with the US strikes and called on Iran to return to the negotiating table

We'll continue to bring you the latest developments so stay with us.

The US strikes in Iran have prompted protests in various cities around the world.

Have a watch:

Image source, EPA

US President Donald Trump has just posted on his Truth Social site saying the US caused "monumental damage" with its strikes on "all nuclear sites in Iran".

"Obliteration is an accurate term," he wrote.

Referring to a satellite image which he did not share in the post, Trump said a "white structure shown is deeply imbedded into the rock" and "completely shielded from flame", while "the biggest damage took place far below ground level."

"Bullseye!!!" he added at the end of the post.

Americans all over the world are asked to stay alert, in the wake of US strikes against Iran.

The US State Department has issued a worldwide security alert for US citizens.

"There is the potential for demonstrations against US citizens and interests abroad. The Department of State advises US citizens worldwide to exercise increased caution," it says.

Image source, EPA

Suranjana Tewari
Asia business correspondent in Tianjin, China

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on China to help stop Iran from shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, a critical trade route, with almost a quarter of the world's oil and gas passing through it.

Rubio's comments followed reports on Iranian state TV that the country's parliament had approved a measure to close the narrow waterway at the mouth of the Gulf.

"I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that, because they heavily depend on the Strait of Hormuz for their oil," said Rubio on Fox News.

"If they do that, it will be another terrible mistake. It's economic suicide for them if they do it."

Any disruption to supply would have profound consequences for the global economy, sending oil prices higher with major importers, like China, India and Japan hard hit.

Analysts say the authority to close the Strait lies with regime security officials rather than parliament, and because Iran also depends on transit through the Strait for its own exports and economy, it would be a particularly risky retaliatory move.

Image source, Reuters

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) posted minutes ago on X that sirens were sounding across central Israel because of a missile launch from Iran.

The Israeli military let civilians know a short time afterwards that it was safe to emerge from their shelters, signalling the threat was over for now.

Over the past day, Israel and Iran have been trading attacks.

From Iran to Israel

Earlier on Sunday Tel Aviv was hit by Iranian ballistic missiles. Residential buildings were damaged.

At least 27 Iranian missiles were launched in two waves, some of which also struck northern and central Israeli areas, including Haifa, Nes Ziona and Rishon Lezion.

From Israel to Iran

Israel sent 20 fighter jets to conduct what it calls “intelligence-based strikes” across Tehran, Kermanshah and Hamedan.

The targets included missile storage and launch facilities, radar and satellite systems, and a surface-to-air missile launcher near Tehran, said Israeli officials.

Image source, Getty Images

Adam Hancock
BBC News, Singapore

Image source, Reuters

Energy markets have opened for the first trading session following the US attack on Iran.

The price of the benchmark Brent Crude rose more than 3% in early trading, climbing to over $79 a barrel.

Oil prices were expected to increase following the attack over the weekend, with traders concerned about potential disruptions to the supply chain.

Stock markets in Asia will open over the next few hours.

Frank Gardner
Security correspondent

The big question in all of this is an even more worrying one than 'will Iran try to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz?', although that would certainly have major economic, political and military consequences.

Instead, the gravest question of all, to which almost none of us know the answer is this: Does Iran still retain enough Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU), hidden away at a secret underground location, plus the knowledge and the means to weaponise it, to now take a decision to race for a crude nuclear bomb?

In other words, have the combined US and Israeli attacks removed the threat of Iran becoming a nuclear-armed state – or made it more likely?

A military expert I have spoken to maintains that if Iran has managed to preserve enough of its HEU then its scientists should, if left to work unimpeded, be able to test a simple, first-generation gun-type device using a neutron initiator. This device, he says, is easier to engineer than an implosion device.

It has long been assumed that if Iran acquires the bomb then Saudi Arabia and other states in the Middle East will also try to acquire it, triggering a nuclear arms race.

An unprecedented moment - what's next could be even more momentouspublished at 00:31 British Summer Time 23 June

00:31 BST 23 June

Lyse Doucet
Chief international correspondent

For decades, the United States and Iran have carefully avoided crossing a dangerous red line into a direct military confrontation.

One American president after another held back from deploying their military might against the Islamic Republic for fear of sinking the US into potentially the most perilous Middle East war of all.

Now, the commander-in-chief, who promised to be a president of peace, has crossed this Rubicon with direct military strikes on Tehran's nuclear sites.

It's an unprecedented moment provoking alarm in capitals the world over.

Iran's next move could be even more momentous.

• Read the full analysis from Lyse Doucet here

Alex Lederman
Reporting from the Pentagon

Image source, Carlos Barria/Reuters/Bloomberg via Getty Images

US President Donald Trump has posted on social media that "it’s not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change???"

That's despite his Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth saying this morning that "this mission was not and has not been about regime change" and Vice-President JD Vance telling ABC on Sunday: "Well, first of all, we don't want to achieve regime change. We want to achieve the end of the Iranian nuclear programme."

Regime change has been a point of contention within Trump's Republican Party.

The last Republican President, George W Bush, focused on regime change in Iraq, based on claims of weapons of mass destruction that turned out to be baseless.

Regime change and American entanglements in Middle East wars have largely fallen out of favour among the Republican base. President Trump capitalised on the unpopularity of the Bush-era neoconservatives, campaigning on a promise of "no new wars".

But many traditional national security hawks and supporters of Israel’s strikes remain in Republican politics.

Attacking Iran's nuclear sites wasn’t just a foreign policy decision for President Trump. He has to balance these competing constituencies in his domestic calculations, too.