NEW YORK/UNITED NATIONS/JERUSALEM/GENEVA - US President Donald Trump said Friday it will be difficult to request Israel stop its airstrikes in Iran, even as he pursues a diplomatic solution to end the conflict.
Trump made the remarks to reporters in New Jersey, where he attended a fundraiser at his golf course, local media reported.
Trump also dismissed European efforts to engage diplomatically with Iran. "They didn't help... Iran doesn't want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help on this one."
Earlier, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said she "can't speculate" on whether the Trump administration will press for a ceasefire between Iran and Israel to allow US-Iran nuclear talks to move forward.
"I'm not going to characterize what's happening now, or the reaction by the president or the secretary of state to what those negotiations might be," Bruce said at a news briefing Friday.
Western Khuzestan
Several explosions were reported on Friday across three locations in Iran's western Khuzestan province following Israeli attacks, according to Iran's Mehr news agency.
One blast occurred around 15:00 local time (1130 GMT) in Ahvaz County, shattering windows in residential buildings. Citing local sources, Mehr said the strike targeted an industrial shed that had already been evacuated.
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Nuclear contamination
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi on Friday warned of the risk of nuclear contamination from Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Attacks on nuclear sites in Iran have caused a sharp degradation in nuclear safety and security in the country. Though they have not so far led to a radiological release affecting the public, there is a danger this could occur, said Grossi.
Damage in Haifa
A fresh barrage of missiles launched from Iran struck northern Israel on Friday, wounding 21 people and causing significant damage in the coastal city of Haifa, according to Israel's national emergency service Magen David Adom (MDA).
Among the wounded in Haifa, the MDA said two were seriously injured -- a 16-year-old boy and a man in his forties. Two others sustained moderate injuries, while the remaining 17 were lightly wounded.
Israeli attacks condemned
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi condemned Israeli attacks on the country at a United Nations meeting on Friday.
Speaking at the 59th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Araghchi said that Israel has launched "an unprovoked aggression" against Iran.
Hezbollah military sites
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that its fighter jets struck Hezbollah military sites in southern Lebanon on Friday evening.
The statement added that the targets included rocket and missile launchers, and weapons storage facilities in the area.
UN chief asks for diplomacy
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for diplomacy to prevent the Israeli-Iranian conflict from spiraling out of control.
In remarks to an emergency meeting of the Security Council, Guterres described the situation as a defining moment for humanity.
"There are moments when the choices before us are not just consequential, they are defining; moments when the direction taken will shape not only the fate of nations, but potentially our collective future. This is such a moment," he said.
