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Iran arrests Israeli agents operating explosive drones near Tehran

Iran Police

The suspects were apprehended with a cache of equipment, including remote-control systems, bombs, and the drones themselves, which were reportedly intended for sabotage operations.

In a separate incident, police in North Khorasan Province detained an individual in the city of Ashkhaneh who had been photographing sensitive sites, including a wheat silo, flour factory, and strategic facilities.

Meanwhile, Tehran police discovered a suspicious vehicle in the western part of the capital carrying a large number of kamikaze micro-drones. The driver, identified as an operative of Israel’s Mossad, was taken into custody.

Larijani: Israeli bombings unified Iranian nation

Ali Larijani

He stressed that the Iranian people, proud of their dignity, have always resisted attempts to undermine it—whether through negotiation or coercion.

Larijani noted that US President Donald Trump misjudged the Iranian people by trying to sway them with messages and threats, unaware of their deep-seated resentment toward him.
“His approach only fueled more discontent,” he said.

Referring to the recent Zionist attacks, Larijani stated: “They expected the bombings to create divisions, but the opposite happened—political factions across the spectrum, even some opposition abroad, rallied behind the armed forces because the issue was national defense.”

He added that Iran’s people showed patience and wisdom, enduring hardships while supporting the military, thus altering the strategic equation.
He emphasized that nations with deep-rooted civilizations stand united in times of crisis.

Larijani warned that wars may begin through reckless decisions, but must end through wisdom. “If we show resolve now, it will shorten the war. If we waver, we risk prolonging it and losing our dignity,” he said.

He stressed that resistance today can shift the future of the entire region.

Iran’s Leader: U.S. military intervention to bring irreparable damage

Ayatollah Khamenei

In a televised address earlier on Wednesday, Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized: The Iranian nation will firmly stand against an imposed war, just as it will firmly resist an imposed peace. This nation will never surrender to any form of coercion.

The Leader also referred to the offensive and threatening remarks made by the U.S. President, stating: Wise individuals who know Iran, its people, and its history never speak to this nation in the language of threats, because the Iranian nation is not one to surrender.

Ayatollah Khamenei stressed the Americans must understand that any U.S. military intervention in this conflict will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage.

Air Defense HQ: Over 60 Israeli UAVs, Missiles Destroyed by Iran

Iran Air Defense System

In a statement, the country’s Air Defense Headquarters reported that from the start of the Zionist regime’s aggression until 7 AM on Wednesday, they successfully intercepted and destroyed 61 various types of unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles, including 4 advanced Hermes unmanned aerial vehicles.

The statement mentioned that the Iranian air defense forces are bravely confronting the attacks of the Zionist regime.

The aggression of the Zionist regime against Iran began on Friday, June 13. During this time, in addition to military areas, nuclear sites and residential areas in various cities have been targeted. These attacks have left hundreds of martyrs and wounded.

Russia urges Israel to stop “illegal” attacks on Iran, accuses West of manipulation

Russian Foreign Ministry

“The ongoing intensive attacks by the Israeli side on peaceful nuclear facilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran are illegal from the point of view of international law, create unacceptable threats to international security, and push the world toward a nuclear catastrophe, the consequences of which will be felt everywhere, including in Israel itself,” Russia’s foreign ministry said in statement.

“Russia calls on the Israeli leadership to … immediately cease the raids on nuclear installations and sites that are under safeguards and are objects of IAEA verification activities,” it added.

The statement also accused unidentified Western countries of acting “out of opportunistic considerations” in supporting Israel’s actions, saying “It is obvious that attempts by the Western bloc to manipulate the global nuclear nonproliferation regime and use it to settle political scores with undesirable countries are extremely costly for the international community and absolutely unacceptable.”

It added that Russia had noted Iran’s “unwavering commitment” to its obligations to adhere to the non-proliferation treaty “and its readiness to resume contacts with the United States,” stating that a solution to the conflict could be “ensured only through diplomacy and negotiations.”

Israel launched a bombardment campaign against Iran on Friday, targeting military and nuclear sites as well as residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, killing dozens of people, including top military officials and nuclear scientists.

Iran has responded with hundreds of ballistic missiles, many of which have penetrated Israel’s air defences, causing widespread damage across the occupied territories.

New Iranian missile used against Israel: Defense Ministry Spokesman

In comments at a televised interview on Tuesday, Brigadier General Alireza Talaee Nik stated Iran will fully exploit its offensive capacities against the Zionist enemy after it imposed a war against the country.

Lauding the successful retaliatory strikes by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and highlighting the advanced homegrown weapons at Iran’s disposal, the general said the Armed Force fired a new missile at the Israeli targets in a fresh wave of attacks on Tuesday.

The Israeli enemy failed to intercept the advanced Iranian missile that was employed for the first time, he stated, adding the Zionists have admitted that they could not even detect the missile before it rained down.

The fact that one of the Zionist regime’s security and intelligence centers was hit by Iran’s guided missile despite being guarded by heavy layers of air defenses assisted by the US reveals the Israeli regime’s misery, the spokesman continued.

General Talaee Nik explained that the Israeli regime’s endurance will diminish gradually as Iran utilizes advanced weapons, saying, “The Zionist enemy is strategically unable to continue a strategic war and its back will break as time goes by.”

He also assured the Iranian people that more surprising achievements of the Armed Forces will appear in the future.

Iran calls on Europe to condemn Israeli onslaught in joint call with European FMs

During the phone conversation, Araqchi condemned Israel’s “blatant aggression” against Iran, including strikes on peaceful nuclear facilities, economic infrastructure, military sites, and residential areas.

He said the attacks represented an “unprecedented blow to diplomacy” and called on European countries to acknowledge the reality and condemn the Israeli regime’s actions.

Araqchi stressed that Iran’s legitimate defense would continue firmly and warned that Israel and its supporters would bear full responsibility for any escalation.

He added that the war had clearly been launched against the Iranian people with American support, making the U.S. complicit in Israel’s crimes.

The top Iranian diplomat reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to diplomacy, saying the country has never left the negotiating table. However, he noted that the current priority is to deliver a forceful and deterrent response to the aggression.

The European ministers and the E.U. foreign policy chief expressed regret over the current situation and offered condolences for the loss of life, emphasizing the importance of diplomacy and their readiness to help de-escalate tensions.

Araqchi also held a phone conversation with his Italian counterpart, Antonio Tajani, and criticized the positions of certain European countries as well as their leniency toward the Israeli regime’s violations of international law.

The foreign minister emphasized that the Israeli regime had committed a clear act of military aggression against Iran and grossly violated fundamental principles of international law.

He stated the violation of Iran’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty, attacks on nuclear facilities, assassination of military figures, and the killing of university professors and ordinary civilians constitute “unforgivable crimes.”

Araqchi stressed that, in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, Iran is determined to exercise its right to legitimate self-defense.

Tajani, for his part, expressed regret over the deteriorating security situation in West Asia and voiced Italy’s readiness to help de-escalate tensions.

Republican lawmaker pushes measure to block US involvement in Israeli war on Iran

Massie, who is fiercely opposed to US intervention in any foreign wars, wrote on X that he would introduce a bipartisan War Powers Resolution on Tuesday.

“This is not our war. But if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution,” Massie wrote on X. “I’m introducing a bipartisan War Powers Resolution tomorrow to prohibit our involvement. I invite all members of Congress to cosponsor this resolution.”

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia on Monday introduced his own war powers resolution aimed at keeping US forces from involvement in Israel-Iran conflict. Kaine’s measure is considered privileged, a special status that means Kaine can force a vote on the measure on the Senate floor.

It’s unlikely that House Republican leaders would bring Massie’s resolution to the floor. When the Democratic-led House took up a similar measure aiming to rein in presidential authority to use military action against Iran without congressional approval in 2020, only a handful of Republicans supported it, including Massie.

Israel launched a bombardment campaign against Iran on Friday, targeting military and nuclear sites as well as residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, killing dozens of people, including top military officials and nuclear scientists.

The assault came just days before US and Iranian negotiators were to meet for a sixth round of nuclear talks in Oman.

Iran has responded with hundreds of ballistic missiles, many of which have penetrated Israel’s air defences, causing widespread damage across the occupied territories.

IRGC launches new wave of missile strikes in Operation True Promise 3

In a statement issued Tuesday, the IRGC reported that its Aerospace Force launched a powerful round of missile strikes targeting Israeli-occupied territories.

The force announced the missiles hit their intended targets despite Western backing and access to advanced defense technologies by Israel.

The IRGC emphasized the use of new operational tactics and technologies, stating that the strikes achieved “maximum success” in reaching their objectives.

The statement also warned that operations would continue against the “illegitimate regime” until its complete destruction, quoting a Quranic verse asserting that victory comes only from God.

Separately, Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari, commander of the Iranian Army’s Ground Force, said Iranian drones struck strategic targets in Tel Aviv and Haifa within the past 24 hours.

He described the UAVs as long-range, precision-capable, and possessing high destructive power.

G7 leaders call for resolution of Iran-Israel crisis in joint statement joined by Trump after earlier resistance

“We urge that the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza,” said the statement, which was attributed to the “G7 leaders.”

That is typically an indication all had signed on, and an official familiar with the matter said it was issued with Trump’s blessing.

Earlier Monday, officials stated Trump had indicated he did not intend to sign onto the draft statement, which was being organized by European leaders at the conference.

But after changing some of the language in the document — including calls for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis and upholding international law — Trump signed off, according to an official familiar with the matter.

It was released as Trump was departing the summit early to return to Washington, where he said he needed to monitor the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

The statement added the G7 leaders “reiterate our commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East.”

“In this context, we affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself. We reiterate our support for the security of Israel. We also affirm the importance of the protection of civilians. Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror. We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” the statement reads.