U.S. 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 program, 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 program back “years” and said he is in touch daily with Trump.

Here’s the latest:

Mourners carry the flag-draped coffins of Ali Hatefi (left) and Abbas Zarei (rright) who were reportedly killed in Israeli strikes during their funeral in the city of Asadabad, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdolrahman Rafati/Tasnim News Agency) Photo:

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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 U.S. 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 to depart G7 early as Israel-Iran conflict shows signs of intensifying

“President Trump had a great day at the G7, even signing a major trade deal with the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Keir Starmer,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on social media. “Much was accomplished, but because of what’s going on in the Middle East, President Trump will be leaving tonight after dinner with Heads of State.”

The summit is scheduled to continue on Tuesday, when Trump had scheduled his first one-on-one meeting with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Trump was also supposed to meet Tuesday in Canada with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Trump urges all of Tehran to evacuate ‘immediately’ in new social media post

U.S. 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 defense 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 defenses after Israeli strikes, expert says

Rebuilding Iran’s air defenses will be difficult due to both logistics and geopolitics, according to Hinz. He described Iran’s air defenses 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 defense 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 defense 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 programs 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

U.N. 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 program” 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.

It’s unclear where the Israeli strikes may have hit in the Iranian capital, and there were no official announcements about the latest round of attacks.

Netanyahu says Israeli strikes have set Iran’s nuclear program back a ‘very, very long time’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israeli strikes against Iran have set Iran’s nuclear program back a “very, very long time.” He added that Israel was not attempting to topple the Iranian government, but said he would not be surprised if that happened as a result of the strikes.

Netanyahu also said he is in touch with Trump daily.

Israel’s opposition leader rallies behind Netanyahu’s Iran operation

Roughly 24 hours before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a blistering assault on Iran, Israel’s opposition was scheming to bring down his government.

Now, just days into the ongoing operation against Iran, the opposition has closed ranks behind the effort, suspending months of bitter criticism against Netanyahu and his handling of the war in Gaza.

It’s a sharp about-face for a constellation of parties that have criticized Netanyahu throughout the war for what they have charged is his politically motivated decision-making.

“It’s not the right moment to do politics,” opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid told The Associated Press on Monday in his first international media interview since the start of the operation against Iran.

Website for Iranian state TV remains offline

The website for Iranian state TV, iribnews.ir, which was targeted by an Israeli strike hours ago, is currently inaccessible.

The site displays a message saying: “The website server is temporarily unavailable.”

UK signals it doesn’t want to topple Iran’s government

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman, Tom Wells, told reporters that “significant destabilization in the region is in nobody’s interests.”

Speaking Monday on the sidelines of a G7 summit where conflict in the Middle East is the dominant issue, Wells said “this summit is an opportunity to try and press for de-escalation and that is the priority, certainly for the prime minister and I believe for other world leaders too.”

Still, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country’s ongoing strikes on Iran could result in the government’s overthrow, and on Friday urged Iranians to rise up against their leaders.

Iranian news anchor says there were ‘bodies of reporters’ after Israeli strike

Anchor Sahar Emami came back on-air from another studio soon after rushing off-camera when Israel struck the state-run Iranian TV station.

Speaking with another anchor, Emami said that “bodies of reporters” were at the site of the initial broadcast, and images showed smoke and flames in the sky.

Israel’s defense minister takes credit for striking Iranian TV station

“The Iranian regime’s propaganda and incitement broadcasting authority was attacked by the IDF after a widespread evacuation of the area’s residents,” Israel Katz said in a statement. “We will strike the Iranian dictator everywhere.”

Human rights groups say deliberately targeting journalists is a war crime.

Germany offers to evacuate its citizens from Israel via neighboring Jordan

The German Foreign Office said Monday a charter flight from the Jordanian capital of Amman to Frankfurt is scheduled for Wednesday. Those who want to get on the flight must independently arrange their travel from Israel to Amman.

Iran calls Israeli strike on state TV station a ‘war crime’

The spokesperson for the Iranian foreign minister condemned the Israeli strike on Iran’s state TV broadcaster and called on the international community to demand justice for the attack on media.

“The world is watching: targeting Iran’s news agency #IRIB‘s office during live broadcast is a wicked act of war crime,” Esmaeil Baqaei wrote on X.

After the strike, the Israeli military released a statement saying it struck “a communication center that was being used for military purposes by the Iranian Armed Forces.” It was not immediately clear if that referred to the state TV building.

Throughout the war in Gaza, Israel has struck hospitals, U.N. facilities and schools, accusing Palestinian militants of operating from within civilian infrastructure, often without providing visual evidence.

3 killed in Israeli oil refinery hit by Iranian missiles

Early Monday morning, Iranian missiles hit an oil refinery in the northern city of Haifa for the second night in a row.

Now Israel’s fire and rescue services are saying the strike killed three workers, ignited a significant fire and damaged a building.

The workers were sheltering in the building’s safe room when the impact caused a stairwell to collapse, trapping them inside. Firefighters tried to extinguish the fire and rescue them, but were too late.

Lebanese leaders indirectly urge Hezbollah to stay out of the Israel-Iran conflict

Lebanon’s president and prime minister say any engagement would be detrimental to the small nation, which is already engulfed in an economic crisis and struggling to recover from the latest war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Hezbollah, funded and armed by Iran, has long been considered Tehran’s most powerful ally in the region but its latest war with Israel also saw much of Hezbollah’s political and military leadership killed in Israeli airstrikes.

The remarks from Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam during a Cabinet meeting Monday amounted to a message to Hezbollah to stay out of the fray.

US Air Force moves refueling tanker aircraft to Middle East

The movements provide President Donald Trump additional options to defend U.S. bases and personnel in the region in wake of the ongoing ballistic missile attacks by Iran and Israel’s continued air operations against Tehran, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press.

The refueling tankers are vital to supporting any major U.S. air operation, whether it would be evacuations or a potential strike by U.S. fighter jets. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details not announced publicly.

Trump demurs on US involvement on Iran

The U.S. president declined to answer what it would take for U.S. to be directly involved in the growing conflict between Israel and Iran, saying he did not want to talk about the issue.

Instead, he continued to press Iran on negotiations on its nuclear program.

“They should talk, and they should talk immediately,” Trump said during a bilateral meeting with the Canadian prime minister during the G7 summit.

Trump added: “I’d say Iran is not winning this war.”

Iran hints at US role in ending fighting with Israel, says ‘one call’ could shift course

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi appeared to make a veiled outreach Monday for the U.S. to step in and negotiate an end to dayslong hostilities between Israel and Iran.

In a post on X, the website formerly known as Twitter, Araghchi wrote that if Trump is “genuine about diplomacy and interested in stopping this war, next steps are consequential.”

“It takes one phone call from Washington to muzzle someone like Netanyahu,” Iran’s top diplomat continued. “That may pave the way for a return to diplomacy.”

The message to Washington comes as the most recent round of talks between U.S. and Iran was canceled over the weekend after Israel targeted key military and political officials in Tehran on Thursday.

Iranian state TV halts live broadcast after Israeli strike

During a live broadcast, an Iranian state television reporter said the studio was filling with dust after “the sound of aggression against the homeland, the sound of aggression against truth and righteousness.”

Suddenly, an explosion occurred, cutting out the screen behind her as she hurried off camera amid dust and debris wafting in the air, and sounds of “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest) were heard from off-screen. The broadcast quickly switched to pre-recorded programs.

Israel had issued a warning the evacuate the area of Iran’s capital where the TV studios are located an hour earlier.

US warships help shoot down Iranian missiles

Two American warships, the USS The Sullivans and the USS Arleigh Burke, were used to shoot down Iranian ballistic missiles over the weekend, according to a U.S. official.

The Sullivans and the USS Thomas Hudner are currently in the Mediterranean, while the Arleigh Burke has moved away from the area. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing operations.

The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier is in the Arabian Sea with the four warships in its strike group. They are not participating in the defense of Israel.

The USS Nimitz has been long scheduled to take over for the Carl Vinson and is heading west from the Indo-Pacific region. The official said it is slated to arrive in the region by the end of the month, and the two carriers would likely overlap in the Middle East at least for a short time before the Vinson heads home to San Diego.

— By Lolita C. Baldor in Washington.

Germany backs Israel’s defense, warns Iran on nukes ahead of G7 summit

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters Monday ahead of the G7 summit in Canada that together with his European colleagues at the summit, Germany is planning to draw up a final communique proposal on the Israel-Iran conflict in which the European will stress that “Iran must under no circumstances be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons-capable material.”

The chancellor added the communique would also emphasize Israel’s right to defend itself, and that he and the other European leaders would discuss possible further steps to reach a diplomatic solution.

Merz rejected the idea that Russian President Vladimir Putin could be involved in mediating a diplomatic solution for the hostilities between Israel and Iran and said that instead “it would be good if Russia ended its war in Ukraine.”

Calm is returning to Wall Street after last week’s Israeli attacks

U.S. stocks are rallying Monday, while oil prices are giving back some of their initial spurts following Israel’s attack on Iran at the end of last week.

The S&P 500 climbed 1.1% and was on track to reclaim nearly all of its drop from Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 449 points, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1.4%. They joined a worldwide rise in stock prices, stretching from Asia to Europe.

The price for a barrel of benchmark U.S. oil fell by more than 3%, while gold’s price eased.

Iran’s nuclear program

The Trump administration revived efforts to negotiate limits on Iran’s uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. But the indirect talks between American and Iranian diplomats have hit a stalemate.

The latest round of talks between the U.S. and Iran on the future of Tehran’s nuclear program had been scheduled Sunday in Oman but were canceled after Israel’s attack.

Iran said last Thursday that it had built and would activate a third nuclear enrichment facility. The announcement came less than two weeks after the IAEA censured Iran for failing to comply with nonproliferation obligations meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon. It was the first such censure in two decades.

Israel warns residents in part of Iran’s capital to evacuate ahead of strikes

Israel said Monday it planned to strike military sites in Tehran. The Israeli military has issued similar evacuation warnings for civilians in parts of Gaza and Lebanon ahead of strikes.

The warning affected up to 330,000 people in a part of central Tehran that includes the country’s state TV and police headquarters, as well as three large hospitals, including one owned by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

A Democratic US senator says he’ll force a vote to give Congress more of a say over military force against Iran

Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is filing a resolution to require that Congress authorize a declaration of war or any specific use of military force against Iran. Congress passed a similar resolution in 2020 during Trump’s first term.

“It is not in our national security interest to get into a war with Iran unless that war is absolutely necessary to defend the United States. I am deeply concerned that the recent escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran could quickly pull the United States into another endless conflict,” Kaine said.

The resolution requires that any hostilities with Iran must be explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force, but would not prevent the United States from defending itself from imminent attack.

Cyprus says Portugal and Slovakia have asked for its help with evacuations

Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos says Portugal and Slovakia will be bringing their citizens from the area of the Israeli-Iran conflict home through Cyprus.

The island nation is the nearest European Union country to Israel, lying just 268 kilometers (167 miles) across the Mediterranean Sea.

Cyprus has acted as a transfer point for evacuees following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by the militant group Hamas that led to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

Moscow still not announcing plans to evacuate Russians from Israel and Iran

The Kremlin says Russia is ready to do “everything necessary” to resolve the “root causes” of the “dangerous escalation of tensions” between Iran and Israel.

Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters he was unaware if a decision had been made by Moscow to organize a full evacuation of its citizens from Israel and Iran.

“All agencies are monitoring the situation with the utmost care,” Peskov said.

Poland will evacuate around 200 of its citizens stranded in Israel

The evacuations will be overland to neighboring Jordan and will take place within the next two days, according to a deputy foreign minister, Henryka Mościcka-Dendys.

She says there will be a bus convoy to Amman, the Jordanian capital, where evacuees — tourists and short-term visitors — will board a government plane to return home.

“Poland will be the first country to organize such an evacuation,” Mościcka-Dendys said, emphasizing the move is precautionary and aims to avoid escalating tensions. No military escort is planned.

Putin and Erdogan condemn Israeli attacks on Iran

The Russian and Turkish presidents called for an immediate end to hostilities and the use of diplomatic means to settle contentious issues.

Both Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Israeli attacks on Iran. They spoke in a phone call on Monday, the Kremlin said.

Russians urged to leave Israel

Speaking with Russian state media Monday, Russia’s Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov reiterated Moscow’s advice to Russian citizens to leave Israel if possible.

Viktorov said that Russian citizens could independently cross Israel’s border with Egypt in order to catch commercial flights home. He also said that a wider, state-organized evacuation of citizens from Israel could be carried out “if necessary.”

“The threat that is being posed to the lives and health of both diplomats and Russian citizens in Israel is quite real,” he said.

Iran is on its own, analyst says

“Iran is battling it out alone,” said Lina Khatib, a Middle East expert at the Chatham House think tank in London.

Russia will not come to Iran’s aid, Khatib told AP, pointing out that Russia did not help Iran last year when Israel destroyed Russian-supplied air defenses or when Iran’s ally, former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was ousted.

Russia is likely to limit its support for Iran to “strongly worded statements” and will use the conflict to present itself as a mediator, Khatib said.

Turkey’s Erdogan offers mediation

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in a telephone call Monday that Turkey was ready to act as a “facilitator” for the resolution of the Israel-Iran conflict and resumption of the nuclear negotiations.

A statement from Erdogan office said Erdogan emphasized Turkey’s commitment to peace and stability in the region.

The Turkish leader has been engaged in telephone diplomacy since Saturday in an effort to reduce tensions. It was Erdogan’s second call with Pezeshkian since the outbreak of the conflict.

Azerbaijan helps evacuate foreign citizens from neighboring Iran

Azerbaijani media reports said that following the evacuation of citizens of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, citizens of Portugal, the Philippines, Finland and some other countries have crossed the Astara border checkpoint and headed to the airport in Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku.

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizade said that 41 of its citizens, including family members of its diplomats in Iran, also have returned to Azerbaijan, said. He added that Azerbaijan’s diplomatic missions in Iran have continued to operate as usual.

UN warns of ‘unprecedented’ food crisis in Gaza

A new U.N. food crisis report released on Monday said the resumption of military operations in Gaza was escalating the food crisis in Gaza “to unprecedented levels.”

The Hunger Hotspots report by the World Food Program and Food and Agricultural Organization said that no adequate humanitarian aid or commercial supplies have reached the Gaza Strip since the end of the eight-week cease-fire, the longest interruption since the start of the conflict.

According to the latest projections, released in May, the whole of Gaza’s 2.1 million people are at risk of falling into acute food insecurity by September.

UN human rights chief decries ‘unconscionable suffering’ in Gaza

The U.N. human rights chief said Israel’s warfare in Gaza is inflicting “horrifying, unconscionable suffering” on Palestinians and urged government leaders to exert pressure on Israel’s government and the militant group Hamas to end it.

“Israel’s means and methods of warfare are inflicting horrifying, unconscionable suffering on Palestinians in Gaza,” Volker Türk told the 47-member Human Rights Council in an address that raised concerns about the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, the fallout from sweeping U.S. tariffs, and China’s human rights record among other topics.

Israeli authorities have regularly accused the council of anti-Israel bias, and the Trump administration has kept the United States out of the its proceedings.

Egypt arrests 2 members of Global March to Gaza, group says

Egyptian authorities arrested two members of the international coordination committee of the Global March to Gaza, the group said Monday.

The group said in a statement it hasn’t heard from French citizen Hicham El Ghaoui and Spanish national Manuel Tapial for around a day since their arrest and it has no details about their whereabouts.

Demonstrators from 80 countries planned to march to Egypt’s border with Gaza to spotlight the deepening humanitarian crises facing Palestinians since Israel began blocking aid trucks from entering the coastal enclave in March.

“Our commitment remains unchanged: We stand with Gaza, call for the opening of a humanitarian corridor, and demand an end to the genocide against the Palestinian people. Governments must act now,” the statement said.

Foreigners are being evacuated from Iran and Israel

Some 120 people, including diplomats and their families, were evacuated from Iran via Turkmenistan, the country’s Foreign Ministry said Monday. Many of those evacuated were from fellow Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, officials said.

Turkmenistan, a gas-rich nation that has remained largely isolated under its autocratic rulers since it became independent following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, shares a 1,148-kilometer (713-mile) border with Iran.

The Czech Republic is also sending a plane for Czechs who want to leave Israel amid the conflict with Iran, the Czech Foreign Ministry said. Other Czechs will use another plane sent by the government of Slovakia headed to Jordan to return home.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it helped 14 Taiwanese leave Israel by bus for Jordan on Sunday and will help them travel onward. The ministry is in touch with another nine Taiwanese currently in Iran and will assist them if they need help departing, the ministry said in a statement Monday.

Concussion of Iranian missile causes minor damage to US Consulate in Tel Aviv

The American Consulate in Tel Aviv suffered minor damage from the concussion of an Iranian missile landing nearby, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee said on Monday.

Huckabee said in a post on X there were no injuries to American personnel but that the consulate in Tel Aviv and Embassy in Jerusalem would remain closed through the day as a precaution.

The damage came amid a new wave of Iranian missile attacks on Israel in retaliation for Israel’s sweeping attacks on Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure.

Iran’s health ministry says 224 killed since Israel’s attack began Friday

Iran’s health ministry says 224 people have been killed since Israel’s attack began Friday.

Spokesman Hossein Kermanpour said on social media that 1,277 other people were hospitalized, and asserted that over 90% of the casualties were civilians.

Israel has said 14 people have been killed there since Friday and 390 others wounded.

Trump vetoed Israeli plan to kill Iran’s supreme leader, US official says

U.S. President Donald Trump vetoed a plan presented by Israel to the U.S. to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter.

The Israelis informed the Trump administration in recent days that they had developed a credible plan to kill Khamenei. After being briefed on the plan, the White House made clear to Israeli officials that Trump was opposed to the Israelis making the move, according to the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the sensitive matter.

The Trump administration is desperate to keep Israel’s military operation aimed at decapitating Iran’s nuclear program from exploding into an even more expansive conflict and saw the plan to kill Khamenei as a move that would enflame the conflict and potentially destabilize the region.

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Iran is believed to have the largest and most diverse ballistic missile stockpile in the Middle East.

And since Iran’s supreme leader vowed to open “the gates of hell”, those capabilities have been on display.

Waves of missile and drone barrages have been lighting up the skies across Israel, as Tehran continues targeting the country in response to Operation Rising Lion.

Some have managed to break through Israel’s sophisticated air-defence systems, killing at least 13 people and injuring hundreds more.

But with Israel targeting Iran’s nuclear and military structure, analysts say the strikes have been limited.

And if the conflict between the two countries continues, Iran may struggle to keep up.

Iran poses ‘complex’ challenge

Israel’s operation has wiped out members of Iran’s military command and damaged its nuclear sites.

At least 242 people have also been killed, according to Iran’s state media.

Israel said the goal of Operation Rising Lion was to dismantle Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Booms and sirens could be heard over Israeli cities on Sunday night after Iran announced a new wave of missile and drone strikes. ( )

Iran has been developing long-range missiles for several decades.

It also possesses vast amounts of short-range rockets and potential hypersonic weapons, most of which are locally produced.

According to US estimates, Iran had an inventory of about 3,000 ballistic missiles before Israel’s recent strikes.

The US Office of the Director of National Intelligence said it was the largest stockpile in the Middle East.

What appear to be the remains of a ballistic missile lie in the desert following Iran’s massive missile and drone attack on Israel in April. ( )

US Central Command chief Kenneth McKenzie warned in March of “the growing size and sophistication of Iran’s missile force”.

“Tehran’s missiles, combined with its nuclear potential, pose a complex deterrence challenge,” he said.

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What are ballistic missiles?

Ballistic missiles are much harder to intercept than drones, and waves of missiles launched simultaneously can overwhelm air defences.

The missiles are powered by rockets initially, launched like a bullet from a gun.

They then follow an unpowered, free-falling trajectory toward their targets.

When they hit their highest speed, they become ballistic, soaring to high altitudes before taking a deep and fast dive.

Stephan Fruehling from the ANU’s Strategic and Defence Studies Centre said the effectiveness of ballistic missiles was their ability to stay on a trajectory once fired.

“They fly along a predictable path,” he said.

“They also come in at a fairly steep angle and very fast, so they’re more difficult to intercept.”

What ballistic missiles does Iran have?

Reaching Israel from Iran requires missiles with ranges of more than 1,000km.

The semi-official Iranian news outlet ISNA published a graphic last year showing nine types of Iranian missiles it said could reach Israel.

It remains unclear which missile types Iran used in its recent strikes.

But past strikes have reportedly included medium-range ballistic missiles such as the Emad and Ghadr-1, and Iran’s first hypersonic Fattah-1.

Michael Shoebridge, director and founder of Strategic Analysis Australia, said missiles could be very effective on their own.

They are fast and can carry heavy payloads, but there are limits.

“Some are not terribly manoeuvrable,” he said.

“You need a broader, effective targeting system so you know where to point them.”

A missile is launched during an air-defence drill in an undisclosed location in Iran. ( )

Some newer versions have upgraded accuracy and technology that allows the missiles to change path during flight.

Iran used Kheibar Shekan missiles in its April and October 2024 attacks on Israel, according to analysis from the Institute for the Study of War.

Kheibar Shekan missiles are fitted with control fins and satellite navigation, which increase precision and allow them to manoeuvre inside the atmosphere.

Last month, Iran’s defence minister also unveiled the Qassem Basir ballistic missile, saying it was designed to evade air-defence systems such as the US-made Patriot.

Breaking Israeli air defences

Israel said its Operation Rising Lion attacks had targeted Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile sites.

Mr Shoebridge said it appeared the attacks were “sufficiently effective”.

Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel have so far included waves of about 200 ballistic missiles, Israeli military officials said.

Two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members speaking to The New York Times stated that Iran originally planned to launch 1,000 ballistic missiles at Israel in response to the Israeli strikes on Iran.

They said that Israeli strikes on Iranian missile bases “made it impossible to move missiles quickly from storage and place them on launch pads”.

This photo taken in Tel Aviv, Israel, shows missiles launched from Iran being intercepted. ( )

Iran was also using its Shahed attack drones to help overwhelm missile interceptors.

Israel claims to have intercepted most of the projectiles launched from Iran.

But some have managed to breach the country’s multi-layered air-defence system.

Missiles have hit central Tel Aviv and cities in the north of the country.

Several sites were hit by the latest barrage, according to the Israeli military.

Israel said at least 13 people were killed and hundreds more were injured.

Israel’s Iron Dome air-defence system was developed to respond to threats from Gaza and southern Lebanon. ( )

Israel’s robust air defences include the Iron Dome, which is for shorter-range threats.

The Iron Dome is one of the most effective air-defence systems in the world.

The David’s Sling, Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 provide defence against medium- and long-range missiles.

Israel also has US Patriot systems in operation, which have a range of about 160km.

David’s Sling is designed to intercept aircraft, drones and cruise missiles. ( )

Professor Fruehling said no system was completely foolproof.

“Things will always get through,” Professor Fruehling said.

“And even if you destroy the ballistic missile, you can still have the warhead coming down and exploding.”

Israel lacks ‘bunker buster’ power

Israel said its surprise attack on Iran was aimed at disrupting Tehran’s nuclear program and lengthening the time it would need to develop an atomic weapon.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Israel is among the nine countries that possess a nuclear arsenal.

Israel refuses to confirm or deny it has nuclear weapons.

Tehran insists its program is entirely civilian and that it does not seek to make an atomic bomb.

But the UN nuclear watchdog reported last week that Iran was violating obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty.

An Israeli strike hit an oil storage facility in Tehran early on Sunday. ( )

Analysts say “the million-dollar question” is how much damage has been done to Iran’s nuclear program.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Natanz complex, south of Tehran, was one of the sites targeted in Israel’s strikes.

The International Atomic Energy Agency later confirmed Natanz had been struck.

Mr Shoebridge said the Israelis would have difficulty destroying the deep underground facilities in places such as Fordo and Natanz.

“The Israelis don’t have the deep bunker-busting types of weapons,” he said.

They would need the equivalent of an American 30,000-pound bomb, but they only had access to a 5,000-pound (2,270kg) munition, he added.

Conflict unlikely to end soon

Israel has assassinated senior military and nuclear chiefs, struck tightly guarded air-defence installations, and smuggled drones deep inside the state.

Tehran said its attacks would be “heavier and more extensive” if Israel continued its hostilities.

But Mr Shoebridge said it appeared Iran was already struggling, and the conflict could quickly become “one-sided”.

“Iran has lost its top military leadership, its top nuclear program leadership, and it lost key air-defence sites,” he said.

“On the flip side, Iran has managed to get a very small number of missiles through that have struck random targets.

“If the Israelis keep up the momentum of their strikes, the Iranians are going to find it harder and harder to defend themselves, let alone respond.”

Professor Fruehling said Israel had demonstrated it had “extraordinarily good intelligence on the Iranians”.

And they had positioned themselves to dig in for the long haul.

“This could well settle into a new pattern where actually there will be a low level of war,” he said.

“The Israelis will continue striking Iran until the overall situation somehow changes, which could well be regime change in Iran.

“I think this is going to go on for a while.”

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (File photo)

Khamenei Officially Announces War? Iran OPENS Bomb Shelters, ‘SPOOKED’ IDF Alerts Israelis | Watch

Poll Do you believe Israel’s military actions will lead to a long-term resolution of its issues with Iran? Yes, it will force a change No, it will only escalate tensions

A senior Israeli official has indicated that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could become a direct target, as Israel intensifies its campaign against Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure.In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, the unnamed official said assassination of Iran’s top leader is “not off limits,” underlining a dramatic escalation in Israel’s strategic posture.The statement signals a shift from solely targeting Iran’s nuclear program to potentially dismantling the regime’s leadership structure.The official claimed that Israel’s recent strikes have already inflicted substantial damage, including at the heavily fortified Natanz enrichment facility, where structural collapse was reported. Israel has also taken responsibility for the assassinations of nine nuclear scientists and several high-ranking military officers in recent months.Additional strikes are expected soon, as part of the ongoing Israeli offensive known as ‘Operation Rising Lion’. Meanwhile, Iran’s counter-offensive, ‘Operation True Promise III’ entered a new phase on Saturday with another wave of missile attacks launched toward Israeli territory.The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the attack, stating: “A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat.”Sirens sounded across major cities, including Tel Aviv, as authorities activated emergency protocols.In response, Israeli warplanes struck targets in Tehran overnight, further intensifying a rapidly escalating confrontation that threatens to engulf the region.Addressing the nation earlier, Supreme Leader Khamenei vowed retribution: “We will not permit them to evade consequences for this significant wrongdoing they have perpetrated,” he said in a televised speech.The escalating exchange has raised global concerns, particularly over the potential targeting of political leaders and the vulnerability of deeply buried nuclear facilities. Despite doubts about Israel’s capacity to fully dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, the official insisted the current strikes had already “set back Iran’s capabilities significantly.”

The IAEA’s chief, Rafael Grossi, told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday that the above-ground part of the plant where uranium was enriched up to 60% was destroyed, along with electrical infrastructure, including a substation, the main electric power supply building, the emergency power supply and backup generators.

Grossi said there were no changes to radiation levels following the attack or any indication of damage to the underground section of the plant. That part of the facility is buried to protect it from airstrikes and contains the bulk of Natanz’s enrichment facilities, with 10,000 centrifuges that enrich uranium up to 5%, Albright said. However, Grossi said, the loss of power may have damaged centrifuges.

There is a good chance the strikes still caused “massive damage,” Hinz said because many of the centrifuges were probably operating at the time of the strike.

Centrifuges, Albright said, “don’t like vibration,” and the shock waves or loss of power could break delicate parts when they are rotating at high speed.

What about the Fordo nuclear site?

Most of Iran’s centrifuges are in Natanz, the experts said, because a lot of them are required to enrich uranium to 5% — which is the maximum level normally used for nuclear-fueled power stations.

But, buried under a huge mountain at Fordo, around 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Tehran, is another nuclear facility where Iran is also enriching uranium to 60%, which is only a short step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. According to the IAEA, Tehran has the largest number of its most powerful centrifuges at Fordo.

An Iranian news outlet close to the government reported Friday that two explosions were heard near the Fordo site. But, while Israel could potentially hit the entrance to Fordo and temporarily block access, it is not believed to have the type of earth-penetrating bombs required to blow up the mountain and crack open the nuclear facility inside, Hinz said.

That capacity lies with the U.S., which has developed a massive bomb that can be dropped only from large aircraft that Israel does not have in service, he said.

The potential for more strikes loomed large. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the attacks will continue “for as many days at it takes to remove this threat.”

Hinz said the attacks showed Israeli intelligence had “absolutely exceptional” knowledge of Iran’s nuclear program and the ability to strike at key targets “with precision.” That could mean Israel could sabotage the plant, rather than trying to blast the mountain open. Albright suggested Israel could try to cut off electricity to Fordo, which could lead to centrifuges breaking.

Is there risk from radiation?

Although Grossi said part of the enrichment facility at Natanz was destroyed, he noted that radiation levels had not spiked.

Even if radiation did leak, experts said, the amount would be unlikely to pose a risk to people in the region or even those near the facilities that got hit.

“Very little uranium will be released in these kind of attacks,” Albright said.

Uranium itself is not especially toxic, he said, and is common in parts of the environment. A person standing near an enrichment facility with a leak would probably be exposed to no more radiation than someone who took several transatlantic flights, which receive slightly higher radiation because radiation doses are larger at high altitudes, he said.

In order to become sick, someone would have to ingest large quantities of uranium, Albright said, pointing out that the element can be found naturally in seawater and the earth’s crust.

Rather than radiation, the greater risk might be from fluorine, which is used to enrich uranium and could have been deadly to those nearby if released during an attack.

Fluorine is mixed with the uranium during enrichment to turn it into a gas called uranium hexafluoride. It is extremely volatile, will quickly corrode and can burn the skin. It is especially deadly if inhaled.