On Friday, after Israel launched an unprecedented attack on Iran, its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Iranians directly. Speaking in English, he told them that the time had come for them to stand up against an "evil and oppressive regime".

Israel's military operations were, he announced, "clearing the path for you to achieve your freedom".

Now, as the military confrontation between Iran and Israel intensifies, and the range of targets widens, many are asking - what is Israel's real endgame?

Is it simply to end, as Netanyahu also declared on Friday on the first night of strikes, "the Islamic regime's nuclear and ballistic missile threat"?

Was it also to finish off any more talks between the US and Iran, to reach a new negotiated deal to curb Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of painful sanctions?

Or could that message to Iranians about clearing a path to achieve freedom nod to an even bigger aim of trying to bring an end to Iran's clerical rule?

From generals to Trump: Who has his ear?

The political career of Israel's longest-serving prime minister has been marked by his personal mission to warn the world of the dangers posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran - from a cartoon of a bomb he's shown at the United Nations, to his repeated refrain during the last 20 months of a burning regional war that Iran was the biggest threat of all.

American presidents and Netanyahu's own generals are known to have pulled him back, more than once over the years, from ordering military strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities.

US President Donald Trump says he didn't give it a green light. But even what seems to have been at least an amber one seems to have been enough.

"Now he is in, he is all in," is how one western official described Netanyahu's game. He also underlined the view that Israel's main goal was to cripple Iran's nuclear programme.

That decision has been widely condemned by states across the region, as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) whose Director-General Rafael Grossi underlined: "I have repeatedly stated that nuclear facilities must never be attacked, regardless of the context or circumstances." They have also been condemned by legal scholars who argue that the strikes are illegal under international law.

But many are now asking whether Israel's prime minister is pursuing the same goals as his top advisors and allies.

"While Netanyahu has personally stacked his fortunes on regime change, the Israeli political and military establishment are committed to profoundly setting back Iran's nuclear program," says Dr Sanam Vakil, Director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at the Chatham House think tank.

"The latter might be difficult but somewhat achievable," she adds. "The former looks harder to deliver in a short and intensifying conflict."

Destroying Iran's nuclear programme

Netanyahu cast Israel's operation as pre-emptive strikes to destroy an existential threat. Iran's advance, he declared, was "at the 90th minute" towards the development of a nuclear bomb.

Western allies have echoed his declaration that Tehran must not be allowed to cross this line. But Netanyahu's clock has also been widely queried.

Iran has repeatedly denied it has decided to build a bomb. In March, Tulsi Gabbard, the US Director of National Intelligence, testified that the US intelligence community "continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon".

The IAEA said in its latest quarterly report that Iran had amassed enough uranium enriched up to 60% purity - a short, technical step away from weapons grade, or 90% - to potentially make nine nuclear bombs.

In these first few days, three key facilities in Iran's vast programme have been targeted - Natanz, Isfahan, Fordow. The IAEA has said that a pilot fuel enrichment plant, above ground, at Natanz was destroyed.

The IAEA also reported that four "critical buildings" were damaged at Isfahan. Israel describes the damage to Iran's facilities as "significant"; Iran says it's limited.

And Israel is also striking "sources of knowledge" by assassinating, so far, at least nine nuclear scientists and a growing list of top military commanders. Its list of targets, which includes military bases, missile launch pads and factories, is now widening to economic and oil facilities.

Iran is also hitting back with its own expanding hit list as civilian casualties mount in both countries.

But to deal a decisive blow to Iran's vast nuclear programme, Israel would have to do significant damage to Fordow, its second-largest and most heavily protected site. The complex, deep underground in a mountain, is where some experts believe Iran has stockpiled much of its near weapons-grade uranium.

Reports in Israeli media say the current aim is to try to cut off access to the facility.

Israel doesn't have the bunker-busting bombs it would need to smash through so much rock. But the US Air Force has them. They're known as MOP – the precision-guided 30,000lb Massive Ordnance Penetrator. But it would still take many strikes, over many days, to cause major damage.

"I think the most likely scenario is that Netanyahu will call Trump and say 'I've done all this other work, I've made sure there is no threat to the B-2 bombers and to US forces but I can't end the nuclear weapons programme,'" Richard Nephew, former US official and Iran expert at the Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy, told the BBC's Newshour programme.

A Western official told me, "It's still not clear which way President Trump will jump."

Timed to derail peace talks?

Trump keeps veering back and forth. At the start of last week, he urged Israel to stop threatening Iran militarily because an attack could "blow it" when it came to the nuclear negotiations with Iran he's always said he much prefers.

Once Israel attacked, he praised the strikes as "excellent" and warned "there's more to come, a lot more". But he also mused they could help push Iran towards making a deal.

Then in a post on Sunday on his Truth Social platform, he declared "We will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran! Many calls and meetings now taking place."

Iran's negotiators now suspect that the talks, which were set to resume in the Omani capital Muscat on Sunday, had all been a ploy to convince Tehran an Israeli attack was not imminent, despite mounting tensions. Israel's blistering salvos on Friday morning caught it off guard.

Others also see the timing as significant. "Israel's unprecedented strikes were designed to kill President Trump's chances of striking a deal to contain the Iranian nuclear programme," says Ellie Geranmayeh, deputy head of the Middle East and North Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

"While some Israeli officials argue that these attacks aimed to strengthen the US leverage in the diplomatic path, it is clear their timing and large-scale nature was intended to completely derail talks."

Officials with knowledge of these negotiations had told me last week that "a deal was within reach". But it all depended on the US moving away from its maximum demand for Iran to end all nuclear enrichment, even from much smaller single-digit percentages commensurate with a civilian programme. Tehran viewed that as a "red line".

After President Trump pulled out of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal in his first term, partly under repeated urging from Netanyahu, Iran moved away from its obligation to restrict enrichment to 3.67% - a level used to produce fuel for commercial nuclear power plants - and started stockpiling too.

In this second attempt, the US leader had given Iran "60 days" to do a deal – a window viewed by mediators with experience and knowledge of this field as far too small for such a complex issue.

Israel attacked on the 61st day.

"The Oman channel is dead for the time being," says Dr Vakil. "But regional efforts are underway to de-escalate and find off ramps."

Netanyahu's 'Churchillian mood'

Viewed from Tehran, this escalation is not just about stockpiles, centrifuges, and supersonic missiles.

"They see it as Israel wanting to, once and for all, downgrade Iran's capabilities as a state, its military institutions, and change the balance of power between Iran and Israel in a decisive way, and perhaps topple the Islamic Republic as a whole, if it can," argues Vali Nasr, Professor of Middle East studies and International Affairs at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and author of the 2025 book Iran's Grand Strategy.

It's unclear how the Iranian public might respond.

A nation of 90 million people has suffered, for years, the effects of swingeing international sanctions as well as systematic corruption. Protests have flared, year after year, on issues ranging from high inflation to low employment, shortages of water and electricity to the zeal of morality police restricting women's lives. In 2002, unprecedented waves of protests demanded greater freedoms; they were met by a harsh crackdown.

Mr Nasr offers his assessment of the public mood now. "Maybe at the beginning, when four or five very unpopular generals were killed, they may have felt a sense of relief, but now their apartment buildings are being hit, civilians have been killed, and the energy and electrical infrastructure of the country is under attack," he says.

"I don't see a scenario in which the majority of Iranians are going to side with an aggressor against their country while it's bombing it, and somehow view that as liberation."

But Netanyahu's statements keep hinting at broader targeting.

On Saturday, he warned his country will strike "every site and every target of the ayatollah regime".

On Sunday, when specifically asked by Fox News if regime change was part of Israel's military effort, Israel's premier replied it "could certainly be the result because the Iran regime is very weak".

"They want to play to the regime's fears of losing control as part of their psychological warfare," says Anshel Pfeffer, Israel Correspondent at The Economist and author of a biography of Netanyahu.

"The consensus within Israeli intelligence is that predicting or engineering the downfall of the Iranian regime is pointless. It could happen soon, or in 20 years."

But Mr Pfeffer believes the prime minister's thinking may be different. "I think there's a good chance that Netanyahu, unlike his spy chiefs, actually believes in the message; he is in a Churchillian mood."

By Sunday evening, reports started appearing on US media, each citing their own sources, that President Trump had vetoed in recent days an Israeli plan to kill Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The buzz began when Reuters first broke the story quoting two anonymous US officials.

Israeli figures questioned on their aims, from the foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar to the National Security Council Chief Tzachi Hanegbi, have emphasised their focus is not on Iran's political leadership. But Hanegbi added a coda – "but the concept of 'at the moment' is valid for a limited time."

In the end, the contours of this endgame will be shaped by the course of a perilous and unpredictable confrontation, and an unpredictable US President.

"Success or failure is overwhelmingly being defined by whether the US can be dragged in," assesses Daniel Levy, President of the U.S. Middle East project and former Israeli government advisor. "Only the US can bring this to a timely end-point in the near future by determining outcomes and stop points."

Top picture credits: Anadolu via Getty, ATEF SAFADI/EPA - EFE/REX/Shutterstock

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A juror in the sex trafficking trial of rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs has been removed after giving inconsistent answers about where he lives.

During jury selection, the juror indicated on a questionnaire that he lived in the Bronx area of New York. But more recently, he told a court staffer he had moved in with his girlfriend in New Jersey.

On Friday, Judge Arun Subramanian said he had found "several inconsistencies" between the juror's answers in court transcripts, which he said could suggest a desire to "be deceptive" in an effort to get on the jury.

Lawyers for Combs had opposed the decision, saying that Combs would be "substantially prejudiced by the dismissal" of a black male from the jury.

The juror has been replaced by an alternative juror, a 57-year-old white father from Westchester.

Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.

The possible dismissal of the juror has been discussed by lawyers for the past week.

Lead prosecutor Maurene Comey had asked that a juror be dismissed for what she described as "a lack of candour".

The prosecution said the juror had disclosed that he recently moved to New Jersey with his girlfriend and had been staying there for most of the trial.

When he was questioned behind closed doors, the juror said he was staying in an apartment in the Bronx, New York, during the week, for four to five nights, when he was working and doing jury duty.

But the juror had said at an earlier stage, in a prospective juror interview several weeks ago, that he lived in the Bronx with his fiancé and daughter.

At one point, the juror had also mentioned living with an aunt, but later omitted her.

The judge said he had found "several inconsistencies" between the juror's answers in the court transcripts.

The inconsistencies, the judge said, could point to a desire to "shade answers" and raised serious question about the juror's "candour" and his "ability to follow instructions".

The judge noted that there were six alternative jurors to preserve the "integrity" of the court. "Removal of the juror is required, in this court's view," the judge said.

One of Combs' lawyers, Xavier Donaldson, objected to the judge's inclination, saying it is "very, very common" for New Yorkers to move between the city and New Jersey.

He said he believed the court is "equating inconsistencies with lying."

"I do believe he will be able to follow instructions," Donaldson said, adding that Juror No. 6 has been "awake - I can't say they all have been awake".

The defence's main objection related to the juror's race, with Donaldson noting that the trial's jury was the most diverse he had seen in his three-decade career.

"That part is important to me and my client," Donaldson said, adding that if the court were to dismiss the juror, it would be "a step backward."

"I don't generally play the race card unless I have it in my hand," Donaldson said.

Combs's legal team had requested a mistrial should the juror be dismissed.

'Wonderful thing'

Federal prosecutors rejected the implication that they were making decisions based on race, commenting that it was a "wonderful thing" that the jury was diverse.

The judge said the jury in the trial does not raise concerns about diversity, adding: "The court cannot and should not let race factor into what it should do."

On Monday, the judge said: "There is nothing the juror can say at this point that can put the genie back in the bottle and repair his credibility."

Eight men and four women were selected for the jury, along with six alternates. The trial is in its sixth week.

The prosecution plans to finish presenting its case this week, at which point the defence will have the chance to call its own witnesses.

The head of the global nuclear watchdog says there has been no further damage to Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment plant since Israel struck the country's nuclear sites on Friday.

Rafael Grossi told the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) board of governors that an above-ground enrichment facility at Natanz was destroyed, but that there were no signs of a physical attack at the underground facility there.

Four buildings were also damaged at the Isfahan site, he said, including a uranium conversion plant, and no damage was visible at the underground Fordo enrichment plant.

Israel said it attacked the sites and killed nine nuclear scientists to stop Iran developing nuclear weapons.

It alleged that Iran had in recent months "taken steps to weaponize" its stockpile of enriched uranium, which can be used to make fuel for power plants but also nuclear bombs.

On Sunday, Iran reiterated that its nuclear programme was peaceful and urged IAEA's 35-nation board to strongly condemn the Israeli strikes.

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Grossi briefed the board on Monday that the IAEA had been monitoring the situation in Iran very carefully, ascertaining the status of the country's nuclear facilities and assessing radiation levels through communication with local authorities.

He said Friday's attack on Natanz destroyed the above-ground part of the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant (PFEP), where cascades of centrifuge were producing uranium enriched up to 60% purity - close to the 90% required for weapons-grade uranium

Electricity infrastructure at Natanz, which included an electrical sub-station, a power supply building, and emergency generators, were also destroyed.

"There has been no indication of a physical attack on the underground cascade hall containing part of the PFEP and the main Fuel Enrichment Plant. However, the loss of power to the cascade hall may have damaged the centrifuges there," Grossi added.

He also said there was radiological and chemical contamination at the site, but that the level of radioactivity outside had remained unchanged and at normal levels.

The Israeli military said on Friday that the underground centrifuge hall was also damaged as part of the attack on Natanz, but it provided no evidence.

The IAEA chief said four buildings were damaged in a separate attack on Friday on the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Centre - the central chemical laboratory, a uranium conversion plant, the Tehran reactor fuel manufacturing plant, and a facility to convert uranium hexafluoride to uranium metal, which was under construction.

As at Natanz, off-site radiation levels remain unchanged, he added.

The Israeli military said on Friday that the Isfahan strike "dismantled a facility for producing metallic uranium, infrastructure for reconverting enriched uranium, laboratories, and additional infrastructure".

On Saturday, Iran's semi-official Isna news agency quoted spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) as saying there was "limited damage to some areas at the Fordo enrichment site" following an Israeli attack.

However, the Israeli military has not confirmed carrying out any strikes there.

Grossi said no damage had been seen at Fordo, or at the Khondab heavy water reactor, which is under construction.

He urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint, warning that military escalation threatened lives and increased the chance of a radiological release with serious consequences for people and the environment.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told foreign diplomats in Tehran on Saturday that Israel's attacks on his country's nuclear facilities were a "blatant violation of international law", and that he hoped the IAEA's board would issue a strong condemnation.

He also said that Iran's missile strikes on Israel since Friday were a "response to aggression".

The Israeli military's spokesperson, Brig Gen Effie Defrin said on Monday that its large-scale air campaign would "continue to act in pursuit of the operation's objective, to neutralize the existential threat from Iran, from its nuclear project to the regime's missile array".

Iran's health ministry says Israeli strikes have killed more than 220 people since Friday. Twenty-four Israelis have been killed by Iranian missiles, according to Israeli authorities.

Last Thursday, the IAEA's board formally declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in 20 years. A resolution said Iran's "many failures" to provide the agency with full answers about its undeclared nuclear material and nuclear activities constituted non-compliance.

Under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Iran was not permitted to enrich uranium above 3.67% purity - the level required for fuel for commercial nuclear power plants - and was not allowed to carry out any enrichment at Fordo for 15 years.

However, US President Donald Trump abandoned the agreement during his first term in 2018, saying it did too little to stop a pathway to a bomb, and reinstated US sanctions.

Iran retaliated by increasingly breaching the restrictions - particularly those relating to enrichment. It resumed enrichment at Fordo in 2021 and has amassed enough 60%-enriched uranium to potentially make nine nuclear bombs, according to the IAEA.

A 57-year-old man has been arrested in the US state of Minnesota on suspicion of killing a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband.

The arrest on Sunday night was the culmination of a huge two-day manhunt following the deaths of Melissa Hortman, a Minnesota Democrat, and her husband Mark. State Governor Tim Walz called it a "politically motivated assassination".

Police said Vance Luther Boelter was armed at the time of his arrest in a rural area west of Minneapolis, but gave himself up peacefully when challenged.

The suspect is also alleged to have shot and wounded Democratic State Senator John Hoffman, and his wife Yvette, who are both now awake in hospital.

Mrs Hoffman said on Sunday that both felt "incredibly lucky to be alive".

Boelter was detained after investigators found a car he allegedly used in Sibley County, about 50 miles (80km) from the murder scene in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

Air and SWAT teams were deployed to arrest the suspect in what was described as the largest manhunt in Minnesota's history.

No police officers were injured during his apprehension, and officials said they were not looking for any other suspects.

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Speaking at a press conference with other local officials on Sunday night, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said the attack was an "unspeakable act" that had "altered the state of Minnesota".

"This cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences," Walz said.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey praised the "skill and bravery" of law enforcement agencies following Boelter's arrest.

"Political violence is abhorrent, it cuts against the most basic moral fabric of our democracy. It's critical that those who commit these acts be held accountable under the law," he added.

Boelter is accused of impersonating a police officer to carry out the attacks on Saturday, before exchanging fire with police officers and fleeing from the area of suburban Minneapolis.

Melissa Hortman had served in the Minnesota House of Representatives for 20 years, and was speaker of the chamber from 2019 to 2025.

Boelter, a former political appointee, was once a member of the same state workforce development board as Hoffman.

He is a security contractor and religious missionary who has worked in Africa and the Middle East, according to his online CV.

Boelter once preached as a pastor at a church in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to Facebook photos.

Investigators reportedly found a list of "targets" in the vehicle that the suspect is thought to have driven for the alleged shootings.

Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, told reporters that he would not describe the notebook found in the car as a "manifesto" as it was not "a treatise on all kinds of ideology and writings".

Local media have reported that the names included Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, congresswoman Ilhan Omar, and state Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.

At the press conference following Boelter's arrest, Evans did not specify who was featured on the list, but said that state officials had contacted authorities in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska and Iowa so that they could "notify individuals that were on that list".