Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2200 GMT, June 16


JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled on Monday that Israel will not halt its offensive against Iran, not even for negotiations, saying that toppling Iran's leadership "could certainly be the outcome" of the ongoing aerial warfare.

Netanyahu made the remarks during a press conference, as Iran called on U.S. President Donald Trump to push for a ceasefire in the aerial conflict that began with Israel's surprise attack on Friday. (Israel-Iran-Airstrikes)

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TEHRAN -- Iran's state broadcaster IRIB said one of its buildings was hit on Monday in a "brutal aggression" by Israel, but added that live broadcasts continued without major disruption.

IRIB said the strike targeted its news network in an apparent effort "to silence the voice of the Iranian nation and the voice of truth." It said staff continued to provide coverage "at full capacity." (Iran-Israel-Attacks)

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JERUSALEM -- Bazan, Israel's largest oil refinery company, announced on Monday night that all of its facilities at the Haifa Port had been completely shut down due to the damage caused by an Iranian missile strike.

Three company employees were killed in the pre-dawn attack, which ignited fires at the strategic complex. Video footage showed visible flames, and firefighting teams were still struggling to extinguish the blaze, according to the Israeli daily Ha'aretz. (Iran-Israel-Attacks)

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ANKARA -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan engaged in separate telephone discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday, urging a diplomatic resolution to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, according to a statement from the Turkish presidency.

In his conversation with Putin, Erdogan characterized recent Israeli actions against Iran as instigating a "dangerous cycle of violence" that jeopardizes regional security. He asserted that the Israeli government's "lawless attitude" constitutes a significant threat to the international order and cautioned that "the region cannot tolerate another war." (Türkiye-Russia-Iran-Phone Talks)

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