Donald Trump will make a decision on whether to attack Iran 'within two weeks'

Anouar El Anouni, the EU's spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said that while no staff were injured when a missile struck the vicinity of the EU delegation in Tel Aviv on Thursday morning, "diplomatic premises have been damaged in the attacks by Iran."

"Under no circumstances, civilian areas and infrastructures as well as foreign diplomatic staff and missions should be targeted or attacked," El Anouni condemned.

You can read more in our report below.

Missile strikes vicinity of EU delegation in Tel Aviv

All personnel of the EU delegation are said to be safe and sound. #EuropeNews…

On Thursday, Iran’s mission to the UN demanded that the international body condemn the recent Israeli strikes on various Iranian facilities, including the Arak heavy water reactor, the Associated Press reports.

“The international community, in particular, the Security Council must not remain silent as crimes of aggression are committed in broad daylight, as international humanitarian law is widespread and systematically violated, and as peaceful nuclear sites and facilities operating under IAEA safeguards come under direct attack,” Amir Saeid Iravani, the Islamic Republic’s permanent representative to the UN, said in a letter to the Security Council.

"Europe should stop helping or assisting Israel financially, militarily, or by intelligence," Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva Ali Bahraini said in an interview for Euronews.

"Europe should play a strong role in explaining for the United States and for Israel that Iranian nuclear technology is not something which they can destroy," he added.

Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is peaceful and purely for civilian purposes. Israel, on the other hand, says Tehran is working towards the construction of a nuclear weapon, which could be used against Israel.

Bahraini also said that there is still a window for diplomacy to reach a new nuclear deal, but first, the fighting with Israel has to stop.

Iran’s UN ambassador: Europe partly to blame for Iran-Israel conflict

In an interview with Euronews, Ali Bahraini said the diplomacy does still have a chance if Israel stops its strikes but also warned that Iran would target……

US president Donald Trump will make a decision on whether to attack Iran "within two weeks," the White House has announced. 

During a press conference on Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt cited a message from Trump saying: "Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks". 

In an interview with Israel's public broadcaster Kan TV, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the change or fall of the Iranian regime was a matter of concern for the Iranian people.

"There is no substitute for the will of the people," Netanyahu said, adding: "That's why I haven't declared this as a goal. It may be the result of developments, but it is not our official, declared goal."

The Israeli Prime Minister also said that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have already destroyed over half of Iran's missile launchers.

"We call on Europe to put pressure on Israel to stop these aggressions," Iran's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahraini, told Euronews in an exclusive interview on Thursday.

"Europe must fulfill its responsibility and put an end to this state of impunity that Israel enjoys," Bahraini added.

Iran's ambassador denied recent rumors about Tehran's intention to close the vital Strait of Hormuz and stresses that it "must remain open to all nations".

Details of the interview will be published soon on Euronews' website and TV.

Israel is expecting a decision from US President Donald Trump within the next 24 to 48 hours on whether they will join the strikes against Iran, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel on Thursday afternoon.

"The expectation is that they (will) join, but no one is pushing them," the official said. "They have to make their own decision."

"We'll know in the next 24–48 hours," the official added.

Josep Borrell, the predecessor of the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas, has castigated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for justifying last Friday's attack on Iran as a "preventive measure to avoid the creation of a nuclear power".

"This narrative suggests that Iran poses a threat to Israel and that an attack on Tel Aviv was imminent, but this is not true. Even the CIA and the Trump administration itself have ruled out Iran having nuclear bombs," Borrell said during a roundtable discussion organised by the Elcano Royal Institute think tank, where he now works as a senior researcher.

Source: AP

🚨 A missile has hit the vicinity of the European Union delegation in Tel Aviv, according to several sources consulted by Euronews, Jorge Liboreiro and Maïa de la Baume reports.

The origin of the missile was not immediately clear, but it was presumed to be a projectile fired by Iran against Israel amid the military escalation between the two countries, now on its seventh day.

Missile strikes vicinity of EU delegation in Tel Aviv

All personnel of the EU delegation are said to be safe and sound. #EuropeNews…

Below are some pictures showing what the Soroka hospital complex in Beersheba, Israel, looked like after it was hit by a missile fired from Iran earlier on Thursday.

Source: The Associated Press

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to moderate his approach to the conflict with Iran, Reuters reports.

According to a German government source, the German Christian Democrat underlined the importance of "diplomatic solutions" to Israel.

On Friday, Germany is expected to hold nuclear talks with its European partners and the Iranian foreign minister at its permanent representation in Geneva.

In a video statement released this afternoon, IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin claimed that Israel would do "whatever we can" to dismantle the "existential threat" posed by Iran obtaining nuclear weapons.

“We cannot allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. We cannot allow Iran to obtain ballistic missiles. It is an existential threat for Israel,” Defrin said from the Soroka hospital in Beersheba, which was hit by a missile fired from Iran earlier on Thursday.

IRNA, the Iranian state news agency, claimed that the missile that struck Israel's Soroka hospital was targeting a "large [Israeli] Command and Intelligence (IDF C4I) headquarters and the military intelligence camp in the Gav-Yam Technology Park."

The monitoring group NetBlocks said that Iran's nationwide internet blackout had extended beyond 24 hours as of Thursday afternoon, marking the country’s most severe disruption since the anti-government protests of November 2019, writes the Associated Press.

Sirens were sounded in northern Israel after missiles were detected being fired from Iran towards the Jewish state, the Israeli military announced just half an hour ago.

"The Israeli Air Force is currently intercepting the rockets to eliminate the threat," the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) posted on its X account.

Moving to other news related to Israel, nine EU member states -- Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden -- are calling on the European Commission to examine how the EU's trade with illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories "can be brought into line with international law."

In a post on X, Belgian foreign minister Maxime Prévot said this was in response to a July advisory opinion by the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) which says that states are obliged “not to render aid or assistance” that could maintain Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories.

Ireland is currently considering draft legislation that would make it a criminal offence to import, attempt to import or assist another person in importing goods made in Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories -- despite trade being an EU competency. Settlements are considered illegal under international law by the UN and most states.

The Israeli military said Thursday that Iran used a missile with multiple warheads in its attack, posing a new challenge to its defences, AP writes.

Instead of having to track one warhead, missiles with multiple warheads can pose a more difficult challenge for air defence systems, like Israel’s Iron Dome.

US President Donald Trump has publicly dismissed a Wall Street Journal report claiming he approved attack plans for Iran, writing:

“The Wall Street Journal has no idea what my thoughts are concerning Iran!”

The statement, posted to his Truth Social platform, comes after a Journal article that alleged Trump had told aides he was prepared to strike Iran but was waiting to see whether Tehran moved closer to abandoning its nuclear program before issuing final orders.

Trump has given conflicting comments on potential US involvement in Israel’s military campaign against Iran.

“I may do it, I may not do it,” he said on Wednesday 

Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

The Wall Street Journal has No Idea what my thoughts are concerning Iran!…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described Israel’s relationship with President Donald Trump as “incredible,” saying he speaks with the US president “almost every day.”

“I think his resolve, his determination and his clarity — when he says Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and for that to take place Iran cannot enrich uranium — are unmatched,” Netanyahu said. “He gave them the chance to do it through negotiations; they strung him along. You don’t string along Donald Trump.”

On the prospect of deeper US involvement, Netanyahu added: “It’s a decision for the president to make, but they’re already helping a lot.”

Netanyahu spoke to reporters today from the site of the damaged Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, following the latest round of Iranian missile strikes.

He went on to promise that by the end of Israel’s current operation, “there will be no nuclear threat to Israel, nor will there be a ballistic missile threat.” Netanyahu said that Israel has already inflicted “very strong” damage on Iran’s nuclear programme. When pressed on whether Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was now a target, he said: “No one is immune.”

Credit- AP

The number of people injured in this morning’s missile attack on Israel has risen to 271, according to the Israeli Health Ministry.

Of those, four are in serious condition, 16 are moderately injured, and 220 sustained light injuries. An additional 24 people were treated for acute anxiety, while seven others are still undergoing medical evaluation.

At Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba — one of the sites directly hit — 71 people suffered minor injuries and one was treated for anxiety. Many of the injuries occurred as residents rushed to reach shelters.

Since the outbreak of the current conflict last Friday, a total of 2,345 people have received medical treatment for injuries.

Smokes raises from a building of the Soroka hospital complex after it was hit by a missile fired from Iran in Beersheba, Israel. Credit: AP

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow could help broker peace between Israel and Iran, proposing a deal to safeguard both Israeli security and Iran’s nuclear ambitions — even as Russia intensifies its own war in Ukraine.

Read more below.

Putin wants to broker Israel-Iran deal while ramping up war in Ukraine

The offer to mediate between Israel and Iran comes as Russia has intensified its war against Ukraine, including striking residential buildings in Kyiv.…

A US diplomat has warned Hezbollah that entering the Iran-Israel conflict would be a “very bad mistake” for Lebanon.

Speaking to journalists in Beirut on Thursday, US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said any military involvement by the Iran-backed group could have severe consequences for the country.

Iran-backed Hezbollah has condemned Israel’s surprise strikes on Iran that sparked the conflict and endorsed Iran’s missile barrages over Israel, but has stopped short of saying it will take military action.

The group suffered heavy losses in its war against Israel last year, which ended with a ceasefire agreement in November. 

On Thursday, Iranian state news agency IRNA claimed that the target of the missile that struck Israel’s Soroka hospital was a “large [Israeli] Command and Intelligence (IDF C4I) headquarters and the military intelligence camp in the Gav-Yam Technology Park.”

According to its official website, the Gav-Yam Negev technology park is “adjacent to (...) the IDF C4i Branch campus."

C4i is the IDF’s elite technological unit, and has been described as “responsible for all the contacts, computers and communications of IDF forces on the battlefield.”

Euroverify, Euronews' fact-checking team, was unable to verify the exact location of the C4i headquarters as such sensitive miliary information is classified. But the Gav-Yam Negev park to which the C4i headquarters is reportedly adjoined is located around 1.4km away from the part of the Soroka hospital struck by a missile on Thursday, as verified by Euroverify.

No verified videos have emerged to suggest any targets other than Soroka hospital itself were struck in the area suggesting that, if the IDF C4i was the true target, the Iranian missile missed it.

A video is circulating widely on social media claiming to show a missile strike the IDF C4i headquarters. But we've identified that the video in fact shows a separate strike in the Ramat Gan area of Tel Aviv earlier today.

A fake map is also circulating online which claims the C4i headquarters is situated right next to the hospital complex. The IDF has said in a post on X that the map is "fundamentally fake, created by artificial intelligence, and full of errors."

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has said that France and its European partners are prepared to “resume negotiations” with Iran.

Speaking at a news conference in Paris on Thursday, Barrot responded to reports that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will meet with European counterparts in Geneva on Friday — a meeting announced earlier by Iranian state media.

Barrot did not confirm the Geneva meeting.

The message from Iranian authorities was "relatively clear: there is a willingness to resume talks, including with the United States, provided that a ceasefire can be reached,” he said.

“On our side, there is a willingness to resume negotiations, provided that these negotiations can lead to lasting, substantial steps backward by Iran regarding its nuclear program, its ballistic program, and its activities to destabilise the region.”

Watch his comments below.

Israeli security forces inspect a destroyed building.

Israeli security forces arrive to inspect a destroyed building.

A local resident reacts inside her partially damaged house.

Credit: AP

Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, said Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “can no longer be allowed to exist” during a visit to the Israeli city of Holon on Thursday.

"The destruction of the State of Israel his declared goal, this horrific goal of destroying Israel, cannot be allowed to continue or materialize,” he said.

Asked then whether eliminating Khamenei falls under the war’s goals, Katz said: “The objectives of the war are to remove the nuclear threat, eliminate sources of destruction, and neutralise missile threats. Within this framework, the IDF has been instructed and knows that to achieve all the objectives, without question this man should no longer continue to exist.”

Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has confirmed he will meet the German, French and British foreign ministers as well as the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas in Geneva on Friday, Associated Press (AP) reports.

The meeting is set to be the first diplomatic engagement between European leaders and Iran since the conflict broke out last Friday, with talks expected to focus on Iran's nuclear programme.

Asked about the reports on Thursday, a European Commission spokesperson declined to confirm, saying "we have always marked our openness to negotiation and dialogue, and when such dialogue will take place, we will inform you."

The UN’s nuclear watchdog has confirmed that Iran’s Arak heavy water research reactor was struck in a recent attack.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the facility was not operational and contained no nuclear material at the time, meaning there were "no radiological effects" from the strike.

The agency added that it has no information yet on whether the adjacent heavy water production plant was also hit.

The IDF confirmed they targeted the reactor, as well as a weapons development site near Natanz.

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows the Arak heavy water reactor in Iran on Feb. 15, 2025.

Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the highest Shia religious authority in Iraq, has strongly condemned any threats or assassination attempts targeting Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

In a statement published on his official website, Sistani warned that such actions would violate religious, moral, and international laws, carrying “very serious consequences for the entire region.”

He cautioned that these acts could trigger “widespread chaos that would worsen the suffering of the region’s people and severely damage everyone’s interests.”

Sistani called on global governments to work towards ending the ongoing conflict and to pursue a peaceful resolution to Iran’s nuclear issue.

Sistani holds spiritual authority over millions of Shia Muslims in Iraq and around the world.

Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has appointed Brigadier General Mohammad Karami as the new commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) ground forces.

Karami previously led the IRGC Ground Force’s Quds Base in southeastern Iran and served as governor of Sistan and Baluchestan during President Ebrahim Raisi’s administration. He replaces Mohammad Pakpour in the role.

Pakpour was recently promoted to commander-in-chief of the entire IRGC, taking over from General Hossein Salami, who was reportedly killed during Israeli strikes at the start Israeli strikes on Iran.

Back to the missile attack on a hospital in Beersheba, southern Israel.

Black smoke billowed from Soroka Medical Center following the strike, prompting emergency teams to evacuate patients from the facility, writes the Associated Press.

Two doctors reported that the missile struck shortly after air raid sirens sounded, causing a loud explosion audible even from inside a safe room.

We have footage from inside the hospital after the attack showing shattered glass and damaged facilities — watch below.

An emergency meeting took place on Wednesday evening at Greece’s Defence Ministry, chaired by Minister Nikos Dendias, amid growing concerns over the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Military sources told ERTNews that the discussion focused on updating Greece’s air defence measures, which are currently on full alert.

Early Thursday reports mentioned a possible redeployment of weapons systems to the Souda base, but the Ministry of National Defence said that the movement of specific weaponry “is obviously outside the scope of public discussion.”

The Ministry emphasised that it is fulfilling its constitutional duty by taking “all necessary measures for the security of the country and its citizens,” regardless of circumstances.

Minister Dendias has previously proposed establishing a multi-layered defence shield with anti-ballistic capabilities, known as "Achilles’ Shield," aimed at countering modern threats. This initiative is part of the wider "Agenda 2030," backed by recent parliamentary approval of a new force structure and a 12-year armament program.

Euroverify, Euronews' fact-checking and verification team, has verified the authenticity and location of a video circulating online that shows the moment an Iranian airstrike fell on the Soroka hospital in Beersheba, southern Israel.

In the clip, a loud explosion can be heard before an enormous plume of smoke mushrooms into the air.

Using open source resources, we've concluded that the footage was filmed from near a bus stop on David Ben Gurion street, overlooking the complex of the Soroka hospital.

A screenshot of a video criculating online, right, showing the moment an Iranian airstrike hit the Soroka hospital complex in southern Israel. A view from Google street view, left, confirms the location.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Kazem Gharibabadi hhas warned the United States against direct involvement in the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel. Speaking through state media, Gharibabadi said Iran “has all the necessary options on the table.”

He cautioned that should the US choose to actively intervene in support of Israel, Iran would respond decisively to "teach the aggressors a lesson" and defend its national security and interests.

Gharibabadi also urged Washington to either stop Israel’s actions or remain a passive observer, emphasising that Iran’s military decision-makers are prepared with all necessary options.

US President Donald Trump has called for Iran to surrender amidst reports that the US would directly intervene in the conflict.

"I may do it, I may not do it," Trump said on Wednesday.

Iran has formally lodged a complaint with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after nuclear facilities, including the Arak heavy water reactor and the Natanz site, were attacked overnight.

According to Iran’s state-affiliated news agency IRNA, Tehran accuses Israel of "continuing its aggression and actions contrary to international laws that prohibit attacks on nuclear facilities."

The report adds that there were no casualties from the attack on the Arak nuclear site.

Patients rest outdoors after a building of the Soroka hospital complex was hit by a missile fired from Iran in Be'er Sheva, Israel.

Smokes raises from a building of the Soroka hospital complex.

Smokes raises from a building of the Soroka hospital complex.

Credit: AP

The number of injured after a wave of Iranian missile strikes in Israel has risen to 65, Israel's Magen David Adom emergency services said.

According to MDA, among those injured, are three individuals are in serious condition, including an elderly man and two elderly women, while two elderly women are in moderate condition. Additionally, 42 people have sustained light injuries from blast effects and shrapnel, and 18 civilians were injured while making their way to shelters. .

MDA teams are conducting sweeps in multiple locations to ensure there are no further casualties, a statement said.

Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has said that Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei will be "held accountable for his crimes” after an Iranian missile hit a hospital in southern Isral.

In a post on X, he condemned Iran’s missile strikes as “cowardly” and alleged the strikes constituted a war crime.

Katz confirmed that, alongside Prime Minister Netanyahu, he has ordered the IDF to increase the intensity of strikes against strategic and government targets in Iran, including Tehran, aiming to "remove threats to the State of Israel and undermine the ayatollahs' regime."

Israeli police have confirmed emergency teams are currently responding to a significant incident in the Holon area, south of Tel Aviv.

Large-scale rescue operations are underway, with numerous security and emergency agencies coordinating efforts on site, police said.

So far, around 20 individuals have been evacuated with injuries ranging from minor to serious. Medical teams are treating casualties at the scene and transporting some to nearby hospitals.

Earlier, we reported that 10 casualties have been evacuated to Wolfson Medical Centre, with two people in serious condition.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed retaliation, after a wave of Iranian missiles hit population centres, including a direct hit on a hospital in southern Israel.

“This morning, Iran’s ‘terrorist tyrants’ launched missiles at Soroka hospital in Beersheba and at a civilian population in central Israel,” Netanyahu said in a post on X.

He warned that Israel would "exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran."

State-affiliated Iranian news agency IRNA confirmed the strike, but said the main targets were Israeli military centres near the hospital, specifically the IDF C4I Command and Intelligence Headquarters and the IDF Intelligence Camp at Gav-Yam Technology Park.

IRNA claimed the hospital was only exposed to blast waves and did not suffer serious damage, describing the military sites as precise and direct targets.

Officials from the hospital said several people were wounded in the attack and urged the public not to come in for treatment.

Iranian state television has confirmed that Israel struck the Arak heavy water reactor early on Thursday, but reported "no radiation danger whatsoever." A state TV reporter, speaking live from the nearby town of Khondab, said the site had been evacuated in advance and that no civilian areas were damaged.

Earlier in the day, Israel had publicly warned residents to evacuate the area around the facility. The IDF said in a post on X that 40 fighter jets struck dozens of military targets across Iran overnight, including a nuclear facility in Arak and a weapons development site near Natanz.

The Arak heavy water reactor, located 250km southwest of Tehran, uses heavy water to cool its core, a process that produces plutonium as a byproduct. Plutonium can be used to develop nuclear weapons, offering Iran an alternative path to a bomb beyond enriched uranium, AP reports.

Rescue workers and military personnel inspect the site of a direct hit from an Iranian missile strike in Ramat Gan.

Two men watch at the site of a direct hit from an Iranian missile strike in Ramat Gan.

A woman is evacuated from the site of a direct hit from an Iranian missile strike in Ramat Gan.

In a statement, Israel's Magen David Adom said medics were treating and evacuating two people in serious condition, along with 30 others who sustained mild injuries from blasts and shrapnel.

It added that additional MDA teams were treating “several injured individuals at multiple scenes.”

Strikes reportedly hit the city of Holon, south of Israel, where 10 casualties have been evacuated to Wolfson Medical Center so far: two in serious condition, one in moderate condition, and seven with light injuries.

In Ramat Gan, 16 people with light injuries have been evacuated by MDA teams to Beilinson, Sheba, and Ichilov hospitals.

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage.

On Thursday, Israel’s foreign ministry confirmed that a hospital in southern Israel was hit by an Iranian missile strike.

Officials say the Soroka Medical Centre in Beer Sheba, the main hospital serving southern Israel, sustained extensive damage in multiple areas. A hospital spokesperson said several people were wounded in the attack and urged the public not to come to the facility for treatment.

There was no information on the precise number of injuries. Eli Bin, head of the Magen David Adom ambulance service, says a floor at the hospital that was hit was evacuated of patients only yesterday amid the war.

“Many lives were saved,” due to the prior evacuation, Bin said.

Unverified footage circulating on social media appears to show destruction inside the hospital’s main foyer and medical staff running through corridors.

Iranian state media later said that the intended target of the missile barrage was the Israeli army’s command and intelligence headquarters, located adjacent to Soroka Hospital.

The hospital, which has more than 1,000 beds, serves roughly 1 million residents across Israel’s southern region, according to its website.