3:13 PM MSTViewers expecting regular programming on Iranian state television instead saw an anti-government video calling for street protests, following what Iran described as a hack they blamed on Israel.After normal broadcasts resumed, the network displayed an on-screen notice. It said, "If you see an irrelevant message on the screen, it’s due to a cyberattack by the Zionist regime."Iranian officials attributed the alleged breach, reported by state media, to Israel.2:57 PM MSTEarly next week, US senators will receive a classified briefing on Iran, an aide to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said, according to Reuters.President Donald Trump declined to say whether he had decided on joining Israel’s bombing campaign against Iran.Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Britain plan nuclear talks with their Iranian counterpart on June 20 in Geneva. According to the aide, they will first meet European Union Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas at the German consulate before the joint session with Iran’s foreign minister..2:31 PM MSTIsraeli warplanes struck more than 20 military targets across Tehran today, including critical facilities tied to Iran's nuclear and missile programs. The targets hit by approximately 60 Israeli Air Force jets included uranium enrichment sites, centrifuge production facilities, and centres for missile and air defence system manufacturing. Also damaged were research and development locations involved in nuclear weapons work. According to the Israel Defence Forces, these sites provide essential support for Iran's weapons development and enable attacks targeting Israeli civilians. .2:12 PM MSTIn a statement from the Oval Office, President Donald Trump stated that he is not seeking a conflict with Iran.“But if it’s a choice between them fighting or having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do,” said Trump. “And maybe we don’t have to fight.”Trump has a meeting in the Situation Room “in a little while.”.2:01 PM MSTThe Israeli military has announced the commencement of a new phase of military operations, targeting missile systems and storage facilities in the western region of Iran.“Aircraft are flying over surface-to-surface missile launch and storage sites. They are striking those attempting to reactivate sites that have already been hit,” said the Israeli military in a statement..12:20 PM MSTUnited Nation Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned against any “additional military interventions” in the Israel and Iran conflict in a statement:I remain profoundly alarmed by the ongoing military escalation in the Middle East between Israel and Iran. I reiterate my call for immediate de-escalation leading to a ceasefire. I strongly appeal to all to avoid any further internationalization of the conflict. Any additional military interventions could have enormous consequences, not only for those involved but for the whole region and for international peace and security at large.I condemn the tragic and unnecessary loss of lives and injuries to civilians and damage to homes and critical civilian infrastructure.Diplomacy remains the best and only way to address concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear programme and regional security issues.The UN Charter remains our shared framework to save people from the scourge of war. I urge all Member States to comply fully with the Charter and international law, including international humanitarian law..11:18 AM MSTOn the sixth day of Israeli strikes, Iran is experiencing a communications blackout. Internet access is severely restricted, while news media websites have stopped updating. Family chat groups on WhatsApp have fallen silent.Normally, WhatsApp is a critical lifeline for Iranians both inside and outside the country. Also, contacting individuals within Iran by phone has become nearly impossible.10:23 AM MSTAccording to flight tracking service FlightRadar24, two Iranian government aircraft landed in Oman today after departing Iranian airspace. A third plane landed in Oman that’s operated by Iran’s Meraj Airlines.Oman frequently acts as a mediator between the US and Iran.10:10 AM MSTTrump said Benjamin Netanyahu was a “good man … doing a good job,” while speaking with the media at the White House.“He’s a wartime president. Going through this nonsense, ridiculous,” said Trump.“Keep going.”9:25 AM MSTIsraeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced today that Israel had carried out a strike against the Iranian Internal Security Headquarters.“The tornado continues to hit Tehran. Air Force jets have now destroyed the Iranian regime’s Internal Security Headquarters – the Iranian dictator’s central repressive arm. As we promised – we will continue to harm symbols of government and strike at the ayatollah regime everywhere,” Katz posted on Twitter/X. .9:19 AM MSTUS Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth refrained from engaging in a discussion regarding the hypothetical scenario of the US using military force against Iran.“If I had or I had not, I wouldn’t disclose that in this forum,” Hegseth told the Senate Armed Services Committee.9:11 AM MSTIran’s delegation to the United Nations has responded vehemently to President Donald Trump, asserting that Iran would not bow down to the demands of the United States.“No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House. The only thing more despicable than his lies is his cowardly threat to “take out” Iran’s Supreme Leader,” posted Iran Mission to UN on Twitter/X.“Iran does NOT negotiate under duress, shall NOT accept peace under duress, and certainly NOT with a has-been warmonger clinging to relevance. Iran shall respond to any threat with a counter-threat, and to any action with reciprocal measures.”.8:50 AM MSTPresident Donald Trump did not respond to media’s questions regarding the possibility of US strikes against Iran and its nuclear facilities. Outside the White House, Trump mentioned that Iran had initiated talks, but emphasized that it was “very late” to engage in such discussions.“There’s a big difference between now and a week ago,” Trump told the White House press gallery. “Nobody knows what I’m going to do.”According to Trump, Iran wanted to have negotiations at the White House, although he refrained from providing any specific details. Trump stated that Iran possessed no air defense capabilities, portraying Iran as “totally defenceless.”.8:18 AM MSTA major split among American conservatives about Iran became clear during an interview between Tucker Carlson and US Senator Ted Cruz. Carlson warned against American involvement with Iran. Cruz argued that changing Iran's government would benefit the US.Although the full interview has not aired yet, a clip of the interview is posted to Twitter/X.In the clip, Carlson asks Cruz about Iran's population. Cruz cannot provide the answer. Carlson then criticizes Cruz, suggesting he is not ready to discuss the issue. "You don’t know the population of the country you seek to topple?" asked Carlson."How could you not know that?" Cruz replies that he "doesn’t sit around memorizing population tables.”Also, Cruz appears to claim the US is "carrying out military strikes today" against Iran. After Carlson points out the official position is that Israel conducted the strikes, Cruz tries to change his statement. Cruz says the US is only "supporting" Israel..8:00 AM MSTIran's Revolutionary Guards stated today that they launched hypersonic Fattah-1 missiles at Tel Aviv. However, military experts immediately questioned this claim.Royal United Services Institute’s Director of Military Sciences Matthew Savill expressed strong doubts. "The Iranians have a track record of claiming that they are using new and novel missiles, which they call hypersonics," said Savill. "I don’t think there is any evidence they have."Hypersonic missiles are extremely fast. They travel more than five times the speed of sound. A key feature is their ability to manoeuvre during flight, making them very hard to track and intercept.Savill explained that while Iran's missiles fly very fast and can sort of change their path, they do not perform major manoeuvres while their engines are firing. Savill argues that they remain ballistic missiles, not true hypersonic weapons.7:34 AM MSTThe Times of Israel is reporting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a cabinet meeting at 10 pm local time (1 pm MST)..7:27 AM MST"We have delivered significant blows to the Iranian regime, and as such, they have been pushed back into central Iran. They are now focusing their efforts on conducting missile fire from the area of Isfahan. We are aiming at military targets, they are attacking civilian homes,” said IDF spokesman..7:14 AM MSTIran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared today that his country does not fear threats from President Donald Trump. Khamenei called Trump's words "absurd rhetoric" in a post on Twitter/X.In a separate speech on television, Khamenei vowed Iran "will not surrender.” He warned that any US military action would bring “irreparable damage.”The US has been moving more troops into the Middle East. Trump is deciding whether to order a strike against Iran.On Tuesday, Trump used social media to demand an "unconditional surrender" from Iran. But, he did not explain what that meant. Trump also called Iran's Supreme Leader an "easy target."Israel and Iran kept firing missiles at each other in the sixth straight day of fighting between the two countries.
