Israel defends Tehran strikes as UN urges de-escalation, accountability amid rising toll

Reuters Wires

<p>An Israeli strike hit Iran&#x27;s state broadcaster on Monday (June 16) while the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog indicated extensive damage to Iran&#x27;s biggest uranium enrichment plant and Iran called on the U.S. to force a ceasefire in the four-day-old aerial war.</p><p>Israeli forces have stepped up their bombardment of Iranian cities, while Iran proved capable of piercing Israeli air defenses with one of its most successful volleys yet of retaliatory missile strikes.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/6/16/iran-and-israel-exchange-deadly-strikes-in-spiralling-air-war-0051">Iran and Israel exchange deadly strikes in spiralling air war</a></div><p>Sources told Reuters that Tehran had asked Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman to press U.S. President Donald Trump to use his influence on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and push for an immediate ceasefire. In return, Iran would show flexibility in nuclear negotiations, said the two Iranian and three regional sources.</p><p>Netanyahu told troops at an air base that Israel was on its way to achieving its two main aims: wiping out Iran&#x27;s nuclear program and destroying its missiles.</p><p>Late on Monday, Israel said it hit Iran&#x27;s broadcasting authority, and footage showed a newsreader hurrying from her seat as a blast struck. Iran&#x27;s State News Agency also reported the strike.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/6/16/latest-on-israel-iran-conflict-expanding-targets-international-unease-1218">Latest on Israel-Iran conflict: Expanding targets, international unease</a></div><p>Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York on Monday that Israel attacks &quot;targets that are serving the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) in this effort. We will try to minimize all civilian casualties and to give warnings.&quot;</p><p>Pressed on whether the broadcaster was a legitimate target, Danon said, &quot;Whoever is cooperating with this terror regime should be considering its steps.&quot;</p><p>&quot;We once again reiterate our concern about any attacks on journalists going about their work – by any side,&quot; said U.N. deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq on the strike on the Iranian television station. &quot;There needs to be accountability to ensure that international humanitarian law and basic international human rights norms are upheld.&quot;</p><p>Iranian media said Iran was preparing for the &quot;largest and most intense missile attack&quot; yet against Israel, including against military and intelligence targets.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>NATANZ DAMAGE</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Israel launched its air war on Friday with a surprise attack that killed nearly the entire top echelon of Iran&#x27;s military commanders and its leading nuclear scientists. It says it now has control of Iranian airspace and intends to escalate the campaign in coming days.</p><p>Israel said it hit Iranian F-14 fighter planes at Tehran airport on Monday, and its airstrikes have also put at least two of Iran&#x27;s three operating uranium enrichment plants out of action.</p><p>Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told the BBC on Monday it was very likely all the roughly 15,000 centrifuges operating at Iran&#x27;s biggest uranium enrichment plant at Natanz were badly damaged or destroyed because of a power cut caused by an Israeli strike.</p><p>There had been very limited or no damage at the separate Fordow plant, he said.</p><p>Tehran&#x27;s retaliation is the first time in decades of shadow war and proxy conflict that missiles fired from Iran have pierced Israeli defenses in significant numbers and killed Israelis in their homes.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/6/16/filipino-in-israel-in-critical-condition-after-missile-salvo-from-iran-1011">Filipino in Israel in ‘critical’ condition after missile salvo from Iran</a></div><p>Iran says more than 224 Iranians have been killed, most of them civilians. Media published images of wounded children, women, and the elderly from cities across the country.</p><p>State TV broadcast scenes of collapsed presidential buildings, burned-out cars, and shattered streets in Tehran. Many residents were trying to flee the capital, describing queues for petrol and bank machines that were out of cash.</p><p>Iran&#x27;s strikes on Israel are self-defense and are &quot;proportionate defensive operations directed exclusively at military objectives and associated infrastructure,&quot; Iran&#x27;s U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told the U.N. Security Council in a closed meeting on Monday.</p><p>He wrote in a letter that any cooperation by third countries with Israel&#x27;s strikes on Iran &quot;makes them complicit in the legal responsibility and consequences of this crisis.&quot;</p><p>Speaking to reporters later on Monday, Iravani singled out the United States.</p><p>&quot;Without the U.S. weapons, intelligence and political backing, this attack could not have happened. The United States will share responsibility for this unlawful act,&quot; he said. &quot;Let me be clear, Iran has not attacked Israel. Iran has not started any war. The so-called existential threat narrative is false.&quot;</p><p>&quot;In the past 48 hours, Iran has launched over 1,000 missiles and drones directly at Israeli civilians,&quot; Danon said. &quot;Iran aims its missiles at children, while we target the regime&#x27;s terror machine.&quot;</p><p>Iravani told the Security Council in his letter that Iran was acting under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, which requires the 15-member Security Council to be immediately informed of any action states take in self-defense against armed attack.</p><p>The Security Council met on Friday, at the request of Tehran, over Israel&#x27;s initial attacks on Iran.</p><p>Danon said that Israel has &quot;pushed back the nuclear program in the last few days, we will continue with our efforts to push back the program.&quot; He added: &quot;It is a much more challenging operation, and it takes time.&quot;</p><div><em>(Production: Roselle Chen)</em></div>

<p>An Israeli strike hit Iran's state broadcaster on Monday while the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog indicated extensive damage to Iran's biggest uranium enrichment plant and Iran called on the U.S. to force a ceasefire in the four-day-old aerial war.</p>

An Israeli strike hit Iran's state broadcaster on Monday while the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog indicated extensive damage to Iran's biggest uranium enrichment plant and Iran called on the U.S. to force a ceasefire in the four-day-old aerial war.

Israel defends Tehran strikes as UN urges de-escalation, accountability amid rising toll

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Israel defends Tehran strikes as UN urges de-escalation, accountability amid rising toll

Reuters

Published Jun 17, 2025 06:44 AM PHT

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