US launches airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, Trump says

A group of UN experts on Saturday condemned Israel's attacks on Iranian nuclear sites as well as military, nuclear, energy and residential targets as a violation of international law.

The group of special rapporteurs including the special rapporteur on human rights in Iran also objected to Iranian missile attacks on Israel.

“These (Israeli) attacks represent a flagrant violation of fundamental principles of international law," the UN experts said in a statement.

“Israel’s attack and Iran’s response – with successive waves of attacks against each other's territory – have resulted in many civilian casualties, confirming our grave concerns about this destructive cycle of violence,” they added.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told European allies in recent days that the Trump administration prefers to resolve its nuclear impasse with Iran through diplomacy, the Wall Street Journal reported citing three European and one US official.

Rubio held calls or convened meetings with foreign ministers from France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Sweden and Cyprus, the paper added.

The United States evacuated 79 staff and family members from its embassy in Israel on Friday, the Associated Press reported citing a confidential state department memo.

Their flight departed Tel Aviv for Sofia, Bulgaria, the AP reported, in the second known flight to have occurred this week.

Iran and the United States kept up their communication over the weekend, NBC news reported on Saturday citing a US official, but it was not clear if the contact amounted to negotiations.