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Israel, Iran trade missiles for sixth straight day as death toll soars past 600

Trump signals possible ceasefire at G7 as Israel pounds Iran, while Tehran claims strike on Tel Aviv Intel hub.

EPN Desk 18 June 2025 05:28

The Israel-Iran conflict

Image credit: AP

The Israel-Iran conflict spiraled into its sixth straight day of escalating missile attacks, with devastating casualties mounting on both sides. Israeli strikes on Iranian targets have now killed at least 585 people and wounded 1,326 others, according to a human rights group cited by the Associated Press.

Iranian officials also reported that the death toll includes 70 women and children. In retaliation, Iran claims to have struck a major Israeli intelligence center in Tel Aviv, a move Israeli sources partly confirmed, acknowledging hits on both civilian and military sites.

US President Donald Trump, alongside Israeli authorities, asserted that Israel maintains "full control" over Iranian airspace. The intensifying conflict has prompted India to evacuate students from Iran and divert flights to avoid Iranian airspace. Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi urged India's foreign ministry to evacuate the 120 Indians stranded in neighboring Iraq.

The conflict shows no signs of abating. Explosions rocked multiple Iranian cities as Mossad offices reportedly came under attack in Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, Tehran suffered a high-profile assassination, further inflaming tensions. Over 20 fatalities have been reported inside Israel from Iranian missile strikes. In a dramatic move, the United States deployed two fighter jets into Iranian airspace, demanding unconditional surrender from Iran’s leadership.

At the G7 Summit in Canada, world leaders scrambled to contain the spiraling crisis. French President Emmanuel Macron revealed that Trump floated a possible ceasefire proposal during closed-door discussions.

“An offer was made especially to get a ceasefire and to then kick-start broader discussions,” Macron disclosed. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz openly backed Israel’s campaign, bluntly stating that Tel Aviv is doing “the dirty work for all of us” in targeting Iran’s nuclear capabilities. The G7 nations collectively threw their weight behind Israel, accusing Iran of fueling instability in the Middle East.

Amid the intensifying conflict, the US State Department established a special Middle East task force to assist American citizens caught in the crossfire. Spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said, “We continue to monitor the complex and rapidly evolving situation on the ground as we assess and address the needs of US citizens.”

Meanwhile, Russia has denounced Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear sites as “illegal,” doubling down on its assertion that Iran’s nuclear program remains peaceful and insisting that only diplomacy can defuse the crisis.

With missiles still flying and diplomacy hanging by a thread, the battle between Israel and Iran shows no signs of de-escalation, as the world watches anxiously.

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