As per reports, following are the latest updates pertaining to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran as of Saturday (21 June):

• UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and European counterparts met with Iran’s foreign minister in Geneva on Friday (20 June). The officials emphasized that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons and urged ongoing talks between Iran and the US. Iran’s foreign minister indicated willingness to continue discussions amid efforts to avoid further conflict escalation.
• Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the Geneva talks with European counterparts as ‘serious and respectful,’ expressing readiness to pursue diplomacy again. He confirmed Iran’s willingness to continue discussions and meet with British, German, French and EU representatives in the near future.
• Trump told reporters it’s ‘very hard’ to ask Israel to stop strikes and claimed Iran ‘doesn’t want to speak to Europe’ but wants to talk to the US, dismissing Europe’s ability to help. He said he might support an Israel-Iran ceasefire depending on circumstances.
• Iran’s internet shutdown as of Friday (20 June) end of day has lasted over 48 hours, leaving Iranians unable to contact others or stay updated on the Israel conflict. The widespread blackout began more than two days ago and continues to severely impact communications across the country.
• Israel’s military reports that around 15 fighter jets conducted strikes on western Iran on Friday (20 June), targeting missile launch sites. The Israeli Air Force also intercepted over 15 Iranian drones launched toward Israel.
• International affairs editor Dominic Waghorn reports that the Geneva talks produced no breakthroughs, since key players Israel and America were not present while European nations lack direct involvement in the conflict. The talks achieved little beyond keeping dialogue open, with Iran showing no signs of backing down under pressure.
• Danish shipping company Maersk has paused calling at Israel’s Haifa port due to the ongoing Israel-Iran strikes, with Haifa itself being targeted in recent attacks.
• Multiple nations have launched large-scale evacuations from the Middle East, with Australia evacuating 1,200 citizens from Israel, China evacuating over 1,600 from Iran, and Germany flying out 345 nationals via charter flights. Countries including Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, and India have organized various evacuation operations from both Israel and Iran as the conflict escalates. At least 15 nations have evacuated their citizens, reflecting widespread international concern about the deteriorating security situation in the region.
• Ireland has temporarily relocated its embassy staff from Tehran due to the ‘deteriorating situation,’ with Foreign Minister Simon Harris announcing the decision was made in consultation with EU partners. The embassy will continue operations from Dublin while staff are relocated for safety reasons. This follows the UK’s similar decision to temporarily withdraw its embassy staff from Iran amid escalating regional tensions.
• Several explosions were heard over Tel Aviv on Saturday (21 June) as Iran reportedly launched more missiles toward Israel, prompting sirens across multiple areas, according to Reuters witnesses and the Israeli military. The IDF reported conducting interception operations to eliminate the threat from the Iranian missile attack. Shortly after, Israeli authorities declared the threat over and told residents they could leave protected areas, indicating the latest wave of Iranian missiles had been successfully dealt with.