Israel has targeted Iran's Fordow nuclear site, after the US bombed the facility at the weekend, while also apparently striking the entrance of an Iranian prison. Iran has asked Russia for help, while vowing revenge against the US. Follow the latest and listen to The World podcast below.
Monday 23 June 2025 13:01, UK
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We have reporting today on Vladimir Putin meeting with Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, in which the Russian leader condemned the US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
During the meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Putin also said Russia was "making efforts to assist the Iranian people".
Earlier, a source told Reuters that Iran's foreign minister would hand a letter to Putin from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei seeking Russia's support.
Iranian sources did not elaborate on what assistance Tehran wanted but it is reported that Iran is not impressed with its long time ally Russia's support so far and the country wants Putin to do more to back it against Israel and the US.
Here are a few images from the meeting today...
There have been many questions directed to the UK government over whether it is in agreement with US strikes on nuclear sites in Iran.
And now a Downing Street spokesman has issued the following statement...
"We're clear that the prevention of Iran getting nuclear weapons is a good thing for this country.
"But our focus is on diplomacy. That is the priority and that is what every member of this government is working towards and that's been the focus of the calls with international partners over the weekend."
The spokesman added: "Iran should take the opportunity presented by the US to re-enter talks."
More than 3,000 Chinese citizens have been evacuated from Iran, according to China's foreign ministry as Israeli attacks continue.
Some 3,125 Chinese nationals have left the country, with another 500 departing from Israel, which is being hit by retaliatory Iranian strikes.
The Chinese foreign ministry said all of its citizens who wanted to evacuate have now left safely.
Israel's ambassador to the UK was challenged on the deaths of innocent civilians in Gaza on Sky News Breakfast earlier.
Asked about the number of deaths in Gaza, particularly of children, Tzipi Hotovely told Sky's Wilfred Frost that Israel was "not interested in wars" and Israel "never targets civilians".
She said Israel is "not there to kill anyone" and "never targeted the children" in hospitals.
"For every life lost in Gaza, you need to blame Hamas for committing the crimes on 7 October and for committing the war crimes by using people as human shields," she said.
'A great service for the whole world'
Speaking about the weekend's US strikes on Iran and the recent conflict, she also said the "world is a safer place" because Israel targeted Iranian nuclear sites.
She said the US helping Israel was "one of the most brilliant co-operations" between American and Israeli armies, and the "coordination was intimate to achieve the goal of preventing Iran having nuclear power".
"Israel is doing a great service for the whole world," she added.
"We are fighting an existential threat to our country, but at the same time, we are fighting a regime that was spreading death and terrorism all around the world.
"We made the world a much safer place."
The US embassy in Qatar has issued a message to US citizens in the country, recommending they "shelter in place" until further notice.
The message notes the recommendation is "out of an abundance of caution" but offers no further information.
We have more to bring you now on the latest strike at the Fordow nuclear site.
The IDF has now confirmed reports that there was another strike on the facility and said it was "in order to obstruct access routes" to the sites.
Earlier, an Iranian spokesperson for Qom province's crisis management headquarters told the Tasnim news agency that Fordow had been hit once more.
This came after the US dropped the biggest conventional bombs in its arsenal on Iranian nuclear facilities on Sunday to try to eliminate nuclear sites, including the Fordow uranium-enrichment plant dug into a mountain.
Donald Trump and members of his government said the sites had been "obliterated" and that they could not accept a nuclear-armed Iran.
Pakistan has condemned the US strikes on Iran - a day after recommending Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
In a statement, the country's government said it was "gravely concerned at the possible further escalation of tensions in the region" and said the strikes were an "unprecedented escalation of tension and violence".
"Any further escalation of tensions will have severely damaging implications for the region and beyond," Pakistan's government said.
The condemnation comes after Pakistan applauded Trump's "decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership" during the recent India-Pakistan crisis and said it was formally recommending him for the peace prize.
We reported earlier that the entrance to Iran's notorious Evin prison in Tehran has been hit by an Israeli strike (see post at 11.05).
It came as defence minister Israel Katz said Israel was "now attacking with unprecedented force" targets in "the heart of Tehran".
Now, we can bring you footage of the strike on the facility which houses political prisoners...
Armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place and could result in radioactive releases with grave consequences, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned.
Speaking at an IAEA emergency meeting, Rafael Grossi said the world was in the "midst of a serious conflict" with Iran's nuclear sites coming under attack.
But there was still a "path for diplomacy".
He said Iran, Israel, and the Middle East need peace, and the first step to help was to return to the negotiating table and to allow IAEA inspectors to go back to Iran's nuclear sites.
On the status of Iran's nuclear sites following US attacks, he said craters are now visible at the Fordow site.
At the Natanz enrichment site, the fuel enrichment plant was hit, with the US confirming that it used ground-penetrating munitions, he added.
Iran has informed the IAEA that there was "no increase in off-site radiation levels at all three sites", Grossi said.
"Let me again recall past general conference resolutions that state that armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place and could result in radioactive releases with grave consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the state which has been attacked," he added.
"I therefore again call on maximum restraint. Military escalation not only threatens lives, it also delays us from taking the diplomatic path."
Vladimir Putin has met with Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi.
During the meeting, the Russian leader condemned the US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, telling Araghchi: "You are visiting Russia at a difficult time, during a sharp aggravation of the situation in the region and around your country."
He also said Russia was "making efforts to assist the Iranian people".
Araghchi thanked Russia for condemning the US and Israeli attacks on Iran.
