Ali Bahreini, Iran’s Ambassador in Geneva, speaks to journalists during a press conference at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland on June 18, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP
Iran said it had conveyed to Washington that it will respond firmly to the United States if it becomes directly involved in Israel’s military campaign, the Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said on Wednesday (June 18, 2025).
Israel-Iran conflict LIVE — June 18, 2025
Ali Bahreini, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations in Geneva, told reporters that he saw the U.S. as “complicit in what Israel is doing”.
Israel launched its air war, its largest ever on Iran, on Friday (June 13) after saying it had concluded the Islamic Republic was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons.
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The U.S. has so far only taken indirect actions in the current conflict with Iran, including helping to shoot down missiles fired toward Israel. It is deploying more fighter aircraft to the Middle East and extending the deployment of other warplanes, three U.S. officials told Reuters.
Mr. Bahreini said Iran will also respond strongly to Israeli strikes.
“We will not show any reluctance in defending our people, security and land — we will respond seriously and strongly, without restraint,” Mr. Ali Bahreini, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations in Geneva, told reporters.
Thousands of people were fleeing Tehran and other major cities on Wednesday (June 18), Iranian media reported, as Iran and Israel launched new missile strikes at each other despite U.S. President Donald Trump calling for Tehran’s unconditional surrender.
The Israeli military said two barrages of Iranian missiles were launched toward Israel in the first two hours of Wednesday (June 18) morning. Explosions were heard over Tel Aviv.
Israel strikes state-run Iranian TV during live broadcast as conflict intensifies
Israel struck Iran’s state-run television station Monday during a live broadcast, forcing a reporter to run off camera following an explosion, after Iran fired a new wave of missiles at Israel that killed at least eight people.
Israel’s military meanwhile said it struck command centres in Tehran belonging to Iran’s Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that Tehran’s residents would “pay the price” for Iranian strikes on Israeli civilians, after overnight missile attacks killed several.
| Video Credit:
The Hindu
Published – June 18, 2025 03:54 pm IST