Ball seems to be in Tehran's court once againpublished at 23:03 British Summer Time 23 June

23:03 BST 23 June

Mark Lowen
Reporting from Tel Aviv

Israel is still hitting targets in Iran, with “unprecedented force”, says its defence minister. But at the same time, it’s being reported here that the Israeli government has passed a message to Iran via its Arab neighbours that it is keen to wrap up the war in the next few days.

Benjamin Netanyahu has said he’s not interested in a long war of attrition. Ten days of Iranian missiles, many of which have breached Israel’s defence shields, have caused fatalities and inflicted damage on buildings. And Israel is burning through its interceptors.

Donald Trump’s posts after tonight’s Iranian attack perhaps suggest he’s not in the mood to step this up.

That, coupled with Israel’s messaging, is beginning to look like a joint approach to Tehran to say: “enough is enough, we’re ready to stop if you are.”

As ever, it’s hard to read an unpredictable White House – but the ball once again seems to be in Tehran’s court as to whether a severely weakened regime decides to call time on this war.

The General Civil Aviation Authority of Qatar has re-opened air traffic over the country following Iran's attacks on a US military base there.

In a statement posted on X in Arabic, the agency noted "the return of the atmosphere to normal".

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has issued an evacuate order for Tehran's District 7, which is in a central area of the Iranian capital.

"The Israeli army will operate in this area, as it has done in recent days throughout Iran to attack the Iranian regime's military infrastructure," it says in its warning.

There have been several evacuation orders issued for various areas of Tehran since Israel began its strikes over a week ago.

Image source, Getty Images

Israeli ambassador to the US, Michael Leiter, tells BBC News that Iran's retaliatory attack on Monday was "expected".

"This is a government that's left with ballistic missiles," says Leiter. "What else do they have to say?"

"It shouldn't surprise us. This is what the government of the Ayatollahs thrives upon, firing missiles," he adds.

Leiter also defended Israel's ongoing attacks on Iran, saying that Israel is "not striking population centres", rather they are targeting "nuclear sites and production sites of ballistic missiles."

Iran, he argues, is targeting population centres in Israel.

Washington-based group Human Rights Activists in Iran, which relies on a network of contacts in the country, says 722 people had been killed in Iran by Israel's strikes, including nearly 200 military personnel.

Israel says 24 people have been killed by Iran's attacks.

Asked about the reported Iranian casualties, Leiter accuses Iranian officials of lying and says any civilian deaths are "collateral damage" and were not intentional.

"We don't target innocent civilians. That's the difference between Israel and this Iranian regime," Leiter says.

The UK government has lifted advice for its citizens in Qatar to shelter in place.

Ahead of the Iranian attack, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) had issued the warning "until further notice".

In an update on its website, it now says: "Following interceptions of Iranian missiles fired towards Qatar, the FCDO has been in touch with the local authorities and international partners, and reviewed the security situation. British nationals do not need to shelter in place and should continue to follow advice from the local authorities."

Jonathan Josephs
BBC business reporter

As I write the price of the benchmark Brent Crude oil is down almost 8.5% at $70.51 per barrel. That's a huge drop.

Whilst this might seem counterintuitive, Robin Brooks of the respected Washington think thank, the Brookings Institution, points out on social media that it “makes total sense”.

The former Goldman Sachs and IMF economist says: “If Iran were serious about retaliation, it'd sink an oil tanker in the Straits of Hormuz”. Market reaction seems to give credibility to that line of thinking.

About 20% of global oil and gas flows through this narrow shipping lane in the Gulf, and fears about Iran targeting it appear to be allayed - for now.

Whilst the amount of electronic interference to ship’s navigation systems has increased in recent days, the international military force monitoring the area says there is “no indication that commercial maritime activity will be targeted”.

State media in both Kuwait and Bahrain both say they have reopened their airspace after the Iranian attack on a US base in Qatar earlier.

Authorities in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, also say its airports have resumed full operations.

Another abrupt U-turn in Trump's Iran policypublished at 21:38 British Summer Time 23 June

21:38 BST 23 June

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

After having previously vowed a strong US response to any Iranian attacks on US troops or assets, Donald Trump has again - it seems - opened the path to peace.

"Perhaps Iran can proceed to peace and harmony in the region," he said. "And I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same."

The tone of the post is a far-cry from his suggestion of "regime change" in Tehran earlier.

The shift - and the broader Iran crisis - is indicative of Trump's style of foreign policy, in which he seizes on new developments and quickly pivots. He prides himself on being unpredictable.

After all, he was publicly still pushing negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme just hours before US bombs struck Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan.

Nobody - perhaps except Trump himself - knows if he actually sees this as an opportunity for peace.

This may be an off-ramp for both the US and Iran to avoid further escalation.

Or, it could be a ploy to buy him time before a more forceful response.

The US embassy in Qatar has lifted its shelter-in-place order that was put into effect earlier on Monday.

In a security update on its website, the embassy says it will reopen tomorrow and resume consular services "without interruption".

Qatari airspace is still closed, however, and the embassy cautioned those who are travelling to continue monitoring government updates.

Trump has just posted a second and third message in quick succession on his social media platform.

He thanks the Emir of Qatar "for all that he has done in seeking Peace for the Region".

In his earlier post, he said no Americans had been harmed in the Iranian attack, and adds now that no Qataris have been killed or wounded, either.

"CONGRATULATIONS WORLD, IT’S TIME FOR PEACE!", the US president says in his third post.

Trump has just posted on social media, saying Iran's response was "very weak". He thanks them for "giving us early notice".

"Iran has officially responded to our Obliteration of their Nuclear Facilities with a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered," the US president says on Truth Social.

He says 14 missiles were fired by Iran, 13 of which were "knocked down" and another headed in a "nonthreatening direction".

No Americans were harmed and "hardly any damage was done", he says. No Qataris were killed or wounded, Trump says.

"Most importantly, they’ve gotten it all out of their 'system,' and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE. I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice," he says.

"Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same," he says.

Gwyn Loader
NewyddionS4C / BBC Wales

Image source, NewyddionS4C / BBC Wales

Rhodri Ogwen Williams, a Welsh expat and restaurant owner in Qatar, says he has been at the Doha Golf Club in Lusail this evening.

"We were just on the fourth hole when we saw the missiles coming in, then at least two or three we saw were intercepted," he says.

Rhodri says it is a "very worrying" not just for Qataris, but also for the surrounding Gulf Arab countries such as Bahrain and Kuwait.

"We are now caught in a very, very sensitive situation," he adds.

Image source, Reuters

Iran's supreme leader says on X that Iran did not harm anyone - and will not accept aggression "from anyone under any circumstances".

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Iran will not submit to anyone's aggression, and that is the "logic" of the Iranian nation.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam was on his way to Qatar when the country closed its airspace ahead of the Iranian missile attack on a US base, a Lebanese adviser confirms to the BBC.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, says Salam is now in Bahrain.

As we've been reporting, Qatar temporarily closed its airspace ahead of the Iranian attack on the Al Udeid Air Base.

Trump now faces major decision on how to respondpublished at 20:18 British Summer Time 23 June

20:18 BST 23 June

Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent

Iran had promised to retaliate for Saturday’s US strike on its nuclear facilities – and now it has.

During his Saturday night address to the nation, Donald Trump warned that there would be an overwhelming American response to any Iranian attacks on US interests. He promised that there were more targets that could be struck by American forces.

For more than 24 hours, the world waited to see what Iran would do. Now that Iran has acted, attention will swing back to the American president.

If the damage is limited, Trump may choose to hold his fire in the hopes that the Iranians will now be willing to negotiate in earnest.

A similar dynamic played itself out in January 2020, when Trump ordered the targeted killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guard leader Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad. Iran launched missiles at military bases in Iraq, injuring more than 100 American soldiers, but the US chose not to escalate. Cooler heads ultimately prevailed.

If there are American deaths or significant damage, however, pressure will mount for Trump to respond. On Sunday American officials had stated, in no uncertain terms, that – unlike past US leaders - this president follows through on his threats.

To do so, however, would risk exactly the kind of protracted warfare that even some of Trump’s own supporters feared would result if the US joined this fight.

Adnan Elbursh
BBC Arabic, reporting from Doha

Image source, Reuters

I heard, for the first time ever in Doha, the sound of very large explosions that occurred in successive batches.

Several missiles were launched by Qatari air defences, in an attempt to intercept missiles launched from Iran towards the American Al Udeid base, the largest American base in the Middle East.

The process of launching interceptor missiles was repeated several times, and I heard the sound of explosions.

We did not hear any sirens, there was no safety instructions or a need to shelter. The impression we had was that Qatar was informed about the strike, and it was more like a message to the Americans.

The Qatari Ministry of Defence announced in a statement on X that "Qatari air defence successfully intercepted a missile attack targeting Al Udeid airbase". The incident did not result in any death or injuries, the statement added.

The American Al Udeid base is located southwest of the Qatari capital, Doha, and includes 13,000 American soldiers.

The State of Qatar strongly condemned what it described as an attack launched by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard against this base.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Qatari air defences succeeded in repelling what it described as an Iranian attack.

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from Capitol Hill in Washington DC

I entered the Capitol building earlier today just moments after Iran launched missiles towards US military bases in Qatar.

Security in this city is noticeably heightened - Washington DC police have increased patrols at religious institutions and I just walked past a guard carrying an assault rifle as I walked into the Capitol.

I’m here to understand how lawmakers are responding to Trump’s strikes, and Iran's response today.

Republican Speaker Mike Johnson just stopped to talk to reporters just outside the House floor where he continued his defence of Trump's decision to strike without congressional approval, saying the president used his “authority judiciously”.

Asked about Iran's missile launch at US bases in Qatar, Johnson said: "I got a classified briefing on all this early this morning".

"This is the retaliation that was expected."

How the US responds to this attack is up to the president, Johnson says.

Qatar's foreign ministry has issued a statement saying that it "affirms that the security situation in the country remains stable, and there is no cause for concern".

"The Ministry stresses the important of not giving in to rumours or circulating inaccurate information," the statement says.

The foreign ministry says that it will co-ordinate with other Qatari authorities to "ensure the safety of citizens and residents, and to maintain the normalcy of public life".

This was clearly a calculated and choreographed response by Iranpublished at 19:44 British Summer Time 23 June

19:44 BST 23 June

Frank Gardner
Security correspondent

Iran’s missile attack on America’s Al Udeid airbase in Qatar appeared, at first sight, to be a major escalation, threatening to drag in the Gulf Arab states into a wider, region wide conflict.

It could still blow up from here and Qatar is furious, calling it a flagrant violation of its sovereignty.

The Qataris are particularly annoyed as they have condemned Israel’s attack on Iran and called for diplomacy.

They also have historically good relations with Tehran, sharing a massive offshore gas field in the waters between them.

But this was clearly a calculated and choreographed response by Iran. No casualties have been reported and the attack was reportedly telegraphed in advance, just as Iran did in 2020 when responding to the US assassination of the Quds Force commander, Qasem Soleimani.

Six missiles, while still dangerous, are not the same as the massive barrage of missiles and drones that Iran is probably still capable of mounting.

So the aim would have been to save face by delivering on Iran’s promise to avenge the US raid, but not so drastically that it triggers a catastrophic retaliation by the US and its allies.

The ball is now in President Trump’s court. If he chooses to leave it there then tonight will likely have been the high watermark in the US-Iran conflict.

There may even be a chance to revive the US-Iran nuclear negotiations further down the line. But Trump may have other ideas. If he decides this needs responding to in turn then this could turn out to be a very hot summer in the Gulf.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

We've just heard from Donald Trump - via Truth Social - for the first time since the news of the attack on Al Udeid was reported.

He did not comment on the incident, but attacked the "fake news" and wrote that "sites that we hit in Iran were totally destroyed, and everyone knows it".

The post is in reference to the US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities at the weekend.

While Trump and US officials have characterised the operation as a resounding success, some observers - and US media outlets - have reported that it is too early to get proper damage assessment and calculate how much the attacks set back Iran's nuclear programme.

The Fardo facility, for example, is deep underground, making it difficult to use satellite imagery to accurately assess how much damage the US bombs caused.