TEL AVIV/DUBAI/WASHINGTON: Israel and Iran’s air war entered a second week on Friday, and European officials sought to draw Tehran back to the negotiating table after President Donald Trump said any decision on potential US involvement would be made within two weeks.
Israel began attacking Iran last Friday, saying it aimed to prevent its longtime enemy from developing nuclear weapons. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. It says its nuclear program is peaceful.
On Friday, European foreign ministers met with their Iranian counterpart to discuss the conflict. They emerged from a three-hour meeting in Geneva having urged Tehran to resume negotiations with the US over its nuclear program.
Meanwhile in New York, the UN Security Council held a bad-tempered meeting over the conflict, with Iran and Israel trading accusations. The head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency Rafael Grossi offered stark warnings over the risks of radiation leaks if Israel continues to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities.
Salvos of Iranian missiles were fired at Israel on Friday, with a strike hitting Haifa and wounding 19. In Tehran, funerals took place for some of those killed in Israel's airstrikes.
