US President Donald Trump urged all of Iran's capital to evacuate “immediately,” saying in a social media post that Iran would not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.
Israel on Monday had warned about 300,000 people in Tehran to evacuate ahead of airstrikes. Israeli forces then struck Iran's state-run television station during a live broadcast. Israel has been hitting Iran with airstrikes and drones throughout the day, while Iran fired a pre-dawn wave of missiles at Israel that killed at least eight people.
The tit-for-tat strikes began when Israel attacked Iran over the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme, and the fighting has raised fears of a wider, more dangerous regional war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Monday that the strikes have set Iran's nuclear programme back “years" and said he is in touch daily with Trump.
Here's the latest:
G7 leaders call for de-escalation but insist Iran must not get nukes
Leaders of the Group of Seven countries meeting in Canada signed a joint statement calling for de-escalation of fighting between Israel and Iran while reaffirming that Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear bomb.
The statement reads:
"We, the leaders of the G7, reiterate our commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East.
"In this context, we affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself. We reiterate our support for the security of Israel.
"We also affirm the importance of the protection of civilians.
"Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror.
"We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.
"We urge that the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza.
“We will remain vigilant to the implications for international energy markets and stand ready to coordinate, including with like-minded partners, to safeguard market stability.”
Hegseth heads to Situation Room
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is headed to the White House Situation Room to meet with President Donald Trump and his national security team amid tensions in the Middle East.
It comes as the US has repositioned both warships and military aircraft in the region to respond if the conflict between Israel and Iran further escalates.
Hegseth didn't provide details on what prompted the meeting but said on Fox News late Monday that the movements were to “ensure that our people are safe.”
Hegseth's chief spokesman, Sean Parnell, tweeted that “American Forces are maintaining their defensive posture.” The U.S. Has helped Israel shoot down Iranian missiles.
Trump urges all of Tehran to evacuate immediately' in new social media post
US President Donald Trump on Monday posted an ominous message calling for the immediate evacuation of the Iranian capital of Tehran while he's in Canada attending the G7 summit.
Trump had said more than once during the day that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. He emphasized that again on his social media site, writing “IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.”
He said Iran should have agreed to the “deal” he told them to sign to prevent what he called “a shame, and waste of human life,” referring to Israel's attacks in recent days.
Trump ended the post with, “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”
Airports are closed across the Mideast, stranding tens of thousands
“The domino effect here is massive,” said retired pilot and aviation safety expert John Cox, who said the disruptions will have a huge price tag.
“You've got thousands of passengers suddenly that are not where they're supposed to be, crews that are not where they are supposed to be, airplanes that are not where they're supposed to be,” he told the AP.
Iran's airspace is completely closed, and Israel has closed its main international Ben Gurion Airport “until further notice.”
Although airspace is still partially open in Lebanon and Jordan, the situation is chaotic at airports there. Neighboring Iraq's airports have all closed due to its close proximity to Iran. Some Iraqis stranded there have opted to leave by land.
Israel says more missiles from Iran are on their way
The military said defence systems were operating to intercept the missiles. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
In an Israeli city hit by missile fire, many support attacking Iran
While no opinion polls have been released since Israel launched a surprise attack Friday, much of the Israeli public seems to be lining up behind the operation in these early days.
As they surveyed the damage and moved to hotels or the homes of loved ones, some Petah Tikva residents said Israel must keep up its attacks to survive.
One woman said four of her neighbors were killed and much of her apartment destroyed.
Miryam, who spoke to the AP on condition that her last name not be used because she serves in the military, called it the scariest thing she's experienced.
“But the right thing is to attack Iran; I don't want them to have this power over us,” she said.
As Israel-Iran conflict dominates the headlines, Gaza sees deadliest day of Israeli shootings near new food hubs
Medics in Gaza say at least 34 Palestinians were killed Monday when Israeli troops opened fire as crowds tried to reach new food distribution centers, according to witnesses.
“Fire was coming from everywhere,” said Heba Jouda, one of thousands trying to feed her family. Gaza's Health Ministry says hundreds have been killed in similar shootings since the Israeli- and U.S.-supported aid system began last month.
Israel claims the new system prevents Hamas from diverting aid, but U.N. Agencies and groups like Doctors Without Borders argue it has failed to meet urgent needs and turned food into a weapon. The nearby Red Cross field hospital in Rafah reported treating 200 wounded Monday, the highest single mass casualty event it has seen. Aid groups warn Gaza is nearing famine after months of near-total siege and say the current system creates “lethal chaos.”
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on Monday's shootings.
Iran faces barriers to rebuilding its air defences after Israeli strikes, expert says
Rebuilding Iran's air defences will be difficult due to both logistics and geopolitics, according to Hinz. He described Iran's air defences as a “hodgepodge” of Russian, Chinese, Iranian and outdated American systems.
Russia, once a key supplier, is unlikely to sell Iran more systems amid its war in Ukraine and because Moscow doesn't want to hurt its “working relationship” with Israel, Hinz said. Any Russian air defence deliveries to Iran would likely be attacked by Israel, he said, and wouldn't offer an immediate fix because training and setup take time.
China has sold Iran short-range air defence systems, anti-drone lasers, and missile-related chemicals in the past, he said. But future sales are uncertain, since Beijing may be unwilling to risk diplomatic fallout with the West or Israel.
An expert explains why Iran's options for striking back are limited
Iran has few viable options for striking back at Israel, largely because its key regional proxy Hezbollah has been “decapitated,” according to Fabian Hinz of the International Institute of Strategic Studies.
The Houthi rebels in Yemen, another of Iran's allies, depend on long-range Iranian missiles but supplies are limited, Hinz said. If Iran chose to strike using short-range missiles, he speculates it could transfer them to Shiite militias in Iraq, which are nearer to Israel.
Iran says Israeli drones hit Persian Gulf gas refinery
Three Israeli mini-drones struck South Pars, the country's main gas production center, according to the state-run IRINN television channel. The report did not specify the extent of the damage.
No official word yet on casualties from Israeli strike on TV station
Videos circulating on social media show the Iranian state TV building, known as “the glass building,” is still burning.
Following the attack, live programmes have been transferred to another studio that resembles those used for radio broadcasts.
Netanyahu's comments come just days after UN atomic agency says strikes didn't damage underground nuclear facility
UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi has said Iran's main underground enrichment site at Natanz was untouched by Israeli strikes.
Grossi told the U.N. Security Council on Friday that the above-ground section of the Natanz facility was destroyed. The main centrifuge facility underground didn't appear to be hit, but the loss of power could have damaged infrastructure there, he said.
Grossi said Monday that radiation levels outside the complex are presently normal.
He is the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Israel warns that anyone helping Iranian forces is a target, after striking state TV
Journalists at the United Nations are pressing Israel's ambassador on why Iran's state television was attacked.
His reply: “Whoever is cooperating with this terror regime should be considering steps,” adding that Israel now has “very good control over the skies of Tehran.”
Ambassador Danny Dannon sidestepped questions about U.N. Nuclear chief Rafael Grossi's claim that Iran's underground Natanz facility was untouched by Israeli strikes, but said Israel had “pushed back the nuclear programme” and stressed the current operation is more complex than past strikes on reactors in Iraq or Syria.
As for peace talks, Danon said Iran must prove it's serious about dismantling its “machine of terror” before Israel would engage.
Explosions echo across Tehran in another wave of Israeli strikes
A significant number of explosions have been ringing out in Tehran for minutes on end.
