LIVE West Asia crisis: Missile sirens wail across Israel as Geneva talks collapse, conflict deepens

As the Iran-Israel conflict enters day 8, the crisis shows no sign of abating. Missile sirens were heard across Israel early Saturday after Tehran launched a fresh barrage, even as diplomatic efforts faltered. The latest round of Geneva talks, involving Iran and European powers, ended in a stalemate after the UK, France, and Germany refused to condemn Israel and insisted Iran abandon uranium enrichment altogether. Iran’s foreign minister rejected the “zero enrichment” demand, prolonging the diplomatic deadlock. Meanwhile, in the line of fire, at least two people were killed and four injured in a missile strike on a residential complex in Qom, close to Iran’s Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. In Israel, a building in Holon caught fire following a reported missile impact. Since hostilities began, 639 deaths have been recorded in Iran and 24 civilian fatalities in Israel. Amid the worsening situation, India has launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate its nationals, with a special flight carrying 290 Indian students—mostly from Jammu and Kashmir—landing safely in Delhi. In a rare gesture, Iran opened its airspace to assist the evacuation. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has also urged citizens in Israel to register with the Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv or reach out to the 24/7 control room at +972 54-7520711 / +972 54-3278392, or email cons1.telaviv@mea.gov.in.

Wall Street ends mixed as stocks drift after Juneteenth break

US stocks closed mixed on Friday, 20 June in a quiet session after the Juneteenth holiday. The S&P 500 slipped 0.2 per cent, marking a second consecutive week of modest losses, while the Dow edged up 35 points, or 0.1 per cent. The Nasdaq fell 0.5 per cent. Treasury yields remained steady amid uncertainty, as former President Donald Trump said he will decide within two weeks on possible US military involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict.

Iran offline for 60 hours amid conflict, says NetBlocks

Internet watchdog NetBlocks reports that Iran has been largely offline for 60 hours, severely restricting public access to information. “The internet shutdown continues to limit the public’s ability to express political viewpoints, communicate freely, and follow safety alerts,” the group said in a post on X. NetBlocks monitors global internet disruptions and cybersecurity issues.

Two more evacuation flights from Iran expected in Delhi today

As part of Operation Sindhu, two more flights carrying Indian nationals from Iran are expected to land at Delhi’s IGI Airport (Terminal 3) on Saturday, 21 June. The first flight from Mashhad is scheduled to arrive at 4.30 pm, followed by a second at 11.30 pm. Iran has opened its airspace to support India’s evacuation efforts amid the escalating conflict.

TIME magazine cover causes a furore

A new TIME magazine cover featuring Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has triggered online backlash, as users point out its striking resemblance to past covers of Muammar Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein, two West Asian leaders who were later removed through devastating US-led regime change wars. All three covers show their faces being wiped away; a haunting visual cue repeated across decades. Israel’s US-backed war on Iran appears to be following the same playbook, with regime change being the goal all along.

A new TIME magazine cover featuring Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has triggered online backlash, as users point out its striking resemblance to past covers of Muammar Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein, two West Asian leaders who were later removed through devastating US-led regime… pic.twitter.com/6h0VMt7WJP

— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) June 20, 2025

American diplomacy a cover for Israel

Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi in an interview with NBC News of US after the talks failed said, "We no longer know how to trust the Americans. Iran will never agree to completely halt uranium enrichment, and Israel must cease its violations before any negotiations with America can occur." “If Washington truly wanted diplomacy, Iran was already engaged with them before Israel’s attack. If the Americans are serious about diplomacy, they must contact Israel to stop its aggression. We have concluded that American diplomacy was merely a cover for Israel’s actions. There is currently a complete lack of trust with the United States,” he added.

He had earlier told the media, “Iran is ready to consider diplomacy once again - once the aggression is stopped and the aggressor is held accountable for the crimes committed…Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful and has always been under the IAEA safeguards and monitoring. Hence, armed attacks against safeguarded nuclear facilities by a regime which is not a party to any WMD treaties is a serious crime and violation of international law,” the said and expressed “grave concern” about the failure of the E3 nations - Germany, UK, and France - and the EU to condemn the unprovoked Israeli attacks that sparked this war. “In this regard, I made it crystal clear that Iran’s defence capabilities are not negotiable,” he stressed, adding that Tehran “supports the continuation” of talks with the E3 and the EU.

Geneva talks fail as expected

The much-awaited talk in Geneva between the Iranian foreign minister and his counterparts from UK, Germany and France has failed to break the deadlock. The European nations refused to condemn Israel and demanded once again, in line with what the US is saying as a precondition, that Iran should give up its uranium enrichment programme entirely. While the talks are said to have lasted for three and a half hours at the UN human rights headquarters in Geneva, the Iranian foreign minister turned down the ‘zero enrichment’ formula for peace.

Iran’s MPs back home said they were not surprised at the ‘duplicity’. Talks were a deception, they strongly believed. ‘Europe tried to lecture Iran about uranium… while France still tests nukes in Polynesia, and the UK stores U.S. warheads on its soil, and Germany funds Israel’s Iron Dome. Iran exposed their hypocrisy. They demanded “zero enrichment”… but said nothing about Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal — or its airstrikes. Here’s what they won’t admit: Ceasefire talks were never about peace. They were about stripping Iran of deterrence …so Tel Aviv could bomb without fear of consequence. And Iran just said: Not this time,” said an Iranian MP on SNN news TV.

Full statements of Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, at the United Nations Human Rights Council#Iran pic.twitter.com/Mha9K4dtRh

— Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran🇮🇷 (@Iran_GOV) June 20, 2025