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Multiple explosions filmed from Ahvaz in Iran
Live Reporting
Edited by Chris Graham
Fordo - the secretive Iranian nuclear sitepublished at 01:12 British Summer Time
Situated about 60 miles (96km) south of the capital Tehran, the uranium enrichment site at Fordo is located in a mountainous region close to the city of Qom.
The underground facility is thought to consist of two main tunnels that house centrifuges used to enrich uranium, as well as a network of smaller tunnels.
Before Sunday's strike by the US, as announced by President Trump, Israel had been appealing to Washington for intervention as the US is the only military with the capability to hit it.
Surprise US attack on Iran ends guessing gamepublished at 01:10 British Summer Time
Nomia Iqbal
North America correspondentEver since Israel launched its attack on Iran there’s been a “will he won’t he?” guessing game on if President Trump will join in on the strikes.
It’s been hugely controversial due to the concern of a further escalation in the Middle East, and another US intervention in the region. The kind of intervention that Donald Trump has long campaigned against.
Just two days ago he said he’d make his decision within two weeks, which lowered the temperature.
But it appears now almost out of the blue “successful strikes” have been carried out according to him.
This includes on Fordo - a US “bunker buster bomb” was needed to do that. As of yet we’ve not seen any actual footage - all we have to go by so far is his social media post.
B-2 bombers involved in US strikes on Iran, says US officialpublished at 01:07 British Summer Time
B-2 bombers were involved in the US strikes on Iran, a US official said, according to the Reuters news agency.
As we reported earlier, US B-2 stealth bombers had reportedly been moved to the US island territory of Guam, prompting speculation that the aircraft could be involved in a US strike on Iran.
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump sayspublished at 00:58 British Summer Time 22 June
Breaking
Donald Trump says the US has completed strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordo, Natanz and Esfahan.
"We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space," he wrote on Truth Social.
Trump added that a "full payload of bombs" were dropped on Fordo and all planes were on their way back to the US.
Presenter’s family detained in Iran, says Persian-language news channelpublished at 00:18 British Summer Time 22 June
Ghoncheh Habibiazad
BBC Persian, World Service reporterA London-based Persian-language news channel has accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of arresting family members of one of its female presenters.
Iran International says the IRGC has detained the family of an unnamed presenter “to pressure her into ceasing work with the channel”.
The network said the presenter received a call from her father, who urged her to resign. Iranian officials were “dictating what her father should say”, the channel added.
In a statement, Iran International said that it “will not back down despite attempts to silence its voice”.
Tehran said in November 2022 that it would treat Iran International as a “terrorist entity”, following the channel’s coverage of anti-establishment protests.
Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has recently warned about a surge in threats against journalists working at Persian-language broadcasters based in London, namely Iran International and BBC Persian, along with their families who live in Iran.
Earlier this month the BBC accused Iran of escalating a campaign of intimidation against its Persian journalists. Tehran is yet to respond to the latest allegations.
The Iranian regime has previously been accused of conducting unlawful operations against journalists abroad. It has denied those allegations and accused the BBC of spreading false information to encourage its overthrow.
Strikes continue as conflict shows no sign of abating - a recappublished at 23:52 British Summer Time 21 June
It is now after 02:00 in Israel and Iran. As we enter the tenth day of hostilities between the two nations, there seems to be little indication that an end to the conflict is in sight.
Israel said it had launched fresh strikes on southern and central Iran, targeting a "weapons depot" and "military infrastructure". Iranian media said, as a result, air defences were being engaged in southern and Israeli drones were being "monitored" and "destroyed".
Earlier, Israel said it had killed three senior Iranian commanders, including Saeed Izadi - described as being one of the architects of the 7 October attacks - and Quds Force commander Behnam Shahriyari.
The UN's nuclear watchdog confirmed Israel had hit the Isfahan facility in the centre of Iran, and the head of the agency released a statement saying the attack will have "no radiological consequences". BBC Verify identified fresh damage to several buildings at the site with satellite imagery.
The ongoing strikes in the region were accompanied with strong rhetoric, as Iran's president asserted his country's right to develop peaceful nuclear programmes, according to the country's official IRNA news agency.
Iran's foreign minister also warned of the consequences if the United States entered the conflict, saying it would be "very, very dangerous" while in Istanbul for talks with the Turkish president.
Stick with us as we continue to follow the latest developments.
Israel says it intercepted UAV from the eastpublished at 23:20 British Summer Time 21 June
The Israeli Air Force says it has intercepted an unmanned aerial vehicle launched "from the east" towards Israel.
Sirens sounded after midnight in response to a "hostile aircraft infiltration" in the areas of Ramat Magshimim and Haspin, according to a post on X.
This comes after Iran announced that a new drone assault was under way on "strategic targets" in Israel.
Iran says new drone assault is under waypublished at 22:50 British Summer Time 21 June
Iran's military says it has launched a new drone attack on Israel.
IRGC spokesperson Ali Mohammad Naini was quoted by state TV as saying the drones were headed towards "strategic targets throughout the regime's territory".
'We saw missiles and drones from our hotel balcony': British blogger describes fleeing Iranpublished at 22:19 British Summer Time 21 June
Naimeh Namjoo
BBC Persian
A British travel blogger and his family detail how they fled Iran just 24 hours after their arrival, as the conflict between Israel and Iran intensified.
Nadia, who travelled to Tehran with her husband Irfan and their three-year-old son Zakariya, told BBC Persian that “they decided to leave Iran after witnessing missiles and hearing drones from their hotel balcony".
The family landed in Iran on 12 June but, by the following morning, they found themselves caught in the middle of the conflict.
They had only a few hours to explore the Iranian capital on Friday. Irfan said: “It was in the evening, when we were driving back to our hotel, that the bombing got worse."
In the early hours of Saturday, their tour guide offered to drive them to the nearest border with Turkey. A few hours later, they arrived at the Bazargan checkpoint. The family is now in a safe country.
Irfan said they had chosen to visit Iran based on recommendations from friends and their own previous positive travel experiences.
- As a reminder, the UK advises against all travel to Iran, external
Nuclear reactor targeted by Israel used for 'health and medicine' purposes - Iran's atomic energy agencypublished at 22:12 British Summer Time 21 June
Ghoncheh Habibiazad
BBC Persian, World Service reporter
Image caption,
Image source, Reuters/Maxar TechnologiesA satellite image of the Arak heavy water reactor facilities after Israeli strikes
Iran has said that a nuclear reactor which was targeted by an Israeli strike was going to be used for “health and medicine” purposes.
Israel said it bombed the Arak heavy water reactor in central Iran, which was under construction, on Thursday to stop it being used for "nuclear weapons development".
The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation (AEOI), Mohammad Eslami, has now accused Israel of targeting a “centre that operates for radiopharmaceutical research with the products used in the fields of health and medicine”.
Eslami added that Iran “no longer trusts” the inspections of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) because he says all of its inspections “have been used to espionage on behalf” of Israel.
Eslami had previously said that Tehran will pursue legal action against the IAEA for its "inaction" over Israel's targeting of Iranian nuclear sites.
He added that none of recent Israeli attacks have led to any radioactive leakage, therefore “there is no cause of public concern”.
Previously, the head of the IAEA Rafael Grossi said that Israel's strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have led to some radiological leaks. There is currently “no danger to the public”, but Grossi said that “there remains a risk that this could still occur".
US moves B-2 stealth bombers to Guampublished at 21:52 British Summer Time 21 June
Max Matza
BBC News, Washington
Image source, Getty ImagesThe US military has sent American B-2 stealth bombers to the US island territory of Guam in the Pacific Ocean, as President Donald Trump continues to decide whether to join Israel in launching offensive air strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
The large jets are considered to be the only aircraft capable of carrying the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a 30,000lb (13,608kg) bunker-busting bomb that experts say is required to destroy Iran's deep nuclear facility at Fordo.
US officials have not commented on whether the deployment is linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
The facility is thought to be buried around 100m below the surface, protected by reinforced concrete. Despite their overwhelming aerial superiority, Israel lacks the munitions to damage the facility, hence requiring US support.
Read more on the possible implications of the B-2 movements in our full article.
Air defences being engaged in southern Iran - Iranian mediapublished at 21:41 British Summer Time 21 June
Breaking
Air defences are being engaged in the southern Iranian city of Bandar Abbas in response to Israeli strikes, Iranian media is reporting.
According to the Tasnim news agency, a media outlet affiliated with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, Israeli drones were monitored, intercepted and destroyed.
A similar story has also been reported in Bandar Lengeh, a little way from Bander Abbas on Iran's southern coast.
Israel launches new strikes on southern Iranpublished at 20:51 British Summer Time 21 June
Breaking
The Israeli military says it has launched strikes on Iran's southern city of Bandar Abbas, targeting a "weapons depot" and sites for "unmanned aerial vehicles".
A little earlier the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was also targeting "fighter jets belonging to the Iranian Armed Forces" and "military infrastructure" in central Iran.
Footage shows explosions in western Iranpublished at 20:25 British Summer Time 21 June
Media caption,Watch: Multiple explosions filmed from Ahvaz in Iran
Video shared on social media shows explosions in the western Iranian town of Ahvaz.
Huge plumes of smoke are visible on the skyline, above large buildings, and local media reported explosions.
The Israeli military said it was conducting operations on "military infrastructure" in the area, which lies on the border with Iraq and is Iran's main oil-producing region.
The footage has been verified by our specialists who geo-located the area shown in the footage.
Iran arrests a German national allegedly ‘spying’ in the countrypublished at 20:02 British Summer Time 21 June
Ghoncheh Habibiazad
BBC Persian, World Service reporterIran has arrested a German national accused of “spying in sensitive military and nuclear areas”, according to state TV Channel Two which aired a report on him yesterday.
He was described as a "Jewish German dual national and a spy", with the report showing him detained in the central Markazi Province. Officials alleged he had "dozens of instances of espionage and/or sabotage".
The report said he had entered Iran “under the disguise of a tourist” but alleged that he “had been filming sensitive areas across the country".
There has been a major escalation in arrests linked to Israel in Iran in recent days.
An unspecified number of people in several provinces including Markazi, Isfahan and Tehran have been detained on related charges since Israel’s attacks on Iran started.
The BBC cannot independently verify the allegations against these individuals.
Israel warns of a prolonged war as it continues striking Iranpublished at 19:44 British Summer Time 21 June
Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent, reporting from JerusalemAs diplomacy seems to be going nowhere, de-escalation is elusive. Israel says it has assassinated another three top Iranian military officials, further proof of its deep penetration of Iran’s security forces.
One of them was Saeed Izadi, described as being one of the architects of the Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October. The Israeli military called his killing a major achievement.
Image caption,
Image source, IDF/ HandoutIranian military official Saeed Izadi was assassinated by the IDF, according to the Israeli military
Another commander Israel says it killed was Benham Shariyari, of the Revolutionary Guards overseas arm. He was believed to have been responsible for weapons transfers from Iran to its regional proxies, including Hamas and Hezbollah.
IDF spokesman Effie Defrin, an Israeli military spokesman, said both men were at the forefront of the Iranian project to take the war to Israeli territory. In this operation, he said, we took the war to their territory.
The Israeli military also hit the Isfahan nuclear facility for the second time in this conflict. It released footage showing extensive damage to the complex, but there were no reports of radioactive leaks.
In response to the attacks, Iran fired more ballistic missiles at Israel overnight. In the morning, an Iranian drone penetrated Israeli air defences and hit a house in the north, but there were no injuries.
Amid international calls for a negotiated solution to this crisis, the chief of Israel’s armed forces said his country should be ready for a prolonged conflict against Iran.
IDF's goal is to 'keep pushing Iran into disarray'published at 19:21 British Summer Time 21 June
An IDF spokesperson has told Fox News that their mission is to keep the pressure on Iran's military and leadership so that they cannot regroup.
Lt Col Nadav Shoshani said their goal was to make sure Iran "is in disarray" so they have "a hard time carrying out operations".
"We're pushing all the time, we're hunting down their commanders, we're hunting down their missile launchers, making sure they don't have a second to regroup," Shoshani said.
Israeli attack kills five soldiers in western Iran - reportpublished at 18:48 British Summer Time 21 June
At least five army personnel were killed in an Israeli attack on Sumar in western Iran, the Fars news agency has reported.
Nine others were also left injured in the strike, according to Iranian media - quoting the acting governor of the town of Qasr-e-Shirin.
Iranian president says country will not halt nuclear programmepublished at 18:40 British Summer Time 21 June
Image source, ReutersIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says his country will not stop its nuclear activity nor give up its right to pursue a civilian nuclear programme, according to the country's official IRNA news agency.
In a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Pezeshkian is reported to have said Iran was ready to provide guarantees to build confidence in Iran's nuclear activities, but its nuclear programme could not be taken away by threats or war.
Pezeshkian also warned Macron that his country's response to continuing Israeli attacks would be "more devastating", the IRNA reports.
Pezeshkian said Iran is “ready for dialogue and cooperation to build trust regarding peaceful nuclear activities” of the country, the agency adds.
US stealth bombers move to island of Guam - reportspublished at 18:25 British Summer Time 21 June
Joe Inwood
World news correspondent
Image caption,
The US stealth bomber is the only aircraft capable of carrying the US bomb experts say is required to destroy Iran's Fordo nuclear plant
Reports from the Reuters news agency that B-2 stealth bombers are moving to the island of Guam is not being officially connected to discussions around the US joining Israel’s war on Iran - but few will doubt there is a link.
The huge planes, which have wingspans of more than 50 metres, are the only aircraft capable of carrying the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a 30,000lb bunker busting bomb that experts say are required to destroy Iran’s deep nuclear facility at Fordo.
The facility is thought to be buried around 100m below the surface, protected by reinforced concrete. Despite their overwhelming aerial superiority, Israel lacks the munitions to damage the facility, hence requiring US support.
Around 9,500km (5,900m) to the east of Fordo, Guam is maybe not the most obvious base from which to launch any attack.
There had been speculation that the UK facility, Diego Garcia, which is around half the distance, might be used as a staging post. That would have caused a potential political and diplomatic headache for the British government, as they would have to give their blessing to any US attack, which might in turn make UK bases a target for Iranian retaliation.
