The prospect of a U.S. strike against Iran has exposed divisions in the coalition of supporters that brought President Donald Trump to power, with some of his base urging him not to get the country involved in a new Middle East war.

Russia -Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Iranian society was consolidating around the Islamic Republic's leadership when asked by Reuters if he agreed with Israeli statements about possible regime change in Tehran.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said that Iran has not asked Moscow for military assistance amid the ongoing war with Israel. (AFP)

A group of 110 Indian students, who were stranded in Iran and evacuated yesterday, have landed in Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. A majority of them - 90 -- are from Jammu and Kashmir.

Iran would accept U.S. President Donald Trump's offer to meet soon, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing a senior Iranian official.
The newspaper, citing the official, added that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi would accept such a meeting to discuss a cease-fire with Israel.
Trump, who has indicated he wants talks to focus on the Iranian nuclear program, said on Monday that he might send U.S. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff or Vice President JD Vance to meet Iranian officials.

U.S. President Donald Trump told senior aides late Tuesday that he approved attack plans for Iran but has withheld a final order to see if Tehran would abandon its nuclear program, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing three people familiar with the deliberations.

The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain plan to hold nuclear talks with their Iranian counterpart on Friday in Geneva, a German diplomatic source told Reuters.

The United Nations Security Council will discuss the ongoing air conflict between Israel and Iran on Friday, Guyana, the current Council president, announced. 

U.S. senators will receive a classified briefing on Iran early next week, an aide to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday, as Iran and Israel in recent days have ratcheted up their military attacks on each other.

Fears over the war between Israel and Iran have led to fuel shortages in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Authority told AFP Wednesday, as drivers queued in long lines to buy fuel.
"Fearing potential supply disruptions or further escalation, citizens across the West Bank have begun stockpiling fuel, putting additional pressure on an already strained market," said Mohammad Abu al-Rob, director of the PA's communications centre.
After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel on Friday launched a massive bombing campaign that prompted Iran to respond with missiles and drones.

Iranian media says state television broadcast briefly hacked. 

(AFP)

When Israeli missiles rained on Iran's nuclear facilities this month, Fereidoun Abbasi, the former head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, was among the high-profile casualties.

India announced launching 'Operation Sindhu' to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran as the conflict between Iran and Israel showed no sign of letting up. "India accords highest priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

More than 4,000 Indian nationals are living in Iran and half of them are students. The MEA said the Indian embassy in Tehran has evacuated 110 Indian students from northern Iran, assisting them in safely crossing over into Armenia on Tuesday.

"These students departed Yerevan on a special flight at 1455 hours on June 18 and will arrive in New Delhi in the early hours of June 19 as part of the initial stages of Operation Sindhu," the MEA said.

US President Donald Trump said he may or may not join Israeli strikes on Iran, hours after Tehran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the country will "never surrender".

Iran's internal security headquarters and Red Crescent in Tehran have been destroyed in fresh missile strikes, Israel's defence minister has claimed.

Mohammed Shoaib, an Indian MBBS student in Tehran said Israeli strikes on Iran started around 11 pm on June 13, when he and his colleagues were asleep. "We were jolted awake and thought it was thunder and lightning. The skies were lighting up as Iran launched anti-air strike missile," he told NDTV.

Mr Shoaib adding that though he is from Jammu and Kashmir and has seen conflict and chaos, he had never seen anything like what he saw in Tehran. He also appreciated the Indian embassy for moving Indian students within three days of the conflict starting.

India has initiated the evacuation of Indian students stranded in Iran. Approximately 110 Indian students from Urmia Medical University, including 90 from Jammu and Kashmir, crossed the border into Armenia on Tuesday.

They are scheduled to return to India on board an IndiGo flight tonight.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded to US President Donald Trump's call for the country to surrender, warning that any U.S. strike will have "serious irreparable consequences".

He said that Iran stands united and won't surrender.

While Israel launched a war against Iran, saying it aims to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon -- a charge Iran denies-- Jerusalem may be hiding a few scaletons in its closet.

The Israeli military said Wednesday that one of its drones had been downed by a surface-to-air missile while operating over Iran, as the arch foes traded fire for a sixth day.

An army statement said the drone "fell in Iran. No injuries were reported and there is no risk of an information breach." (AFP)

Iran is preparing missiles and other military equipment to strikes on US bases in the Middle East, in case the United States join Israel’s war against the country, New York Times reported citing American officials.

The report said the United States has sent about three dozen refueling aircraft to Europe that could be used to assist fighter jets protecting American bases. They could be also used to extend the range of bombers involved in any possible strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Fears of a wider war are growing among American officials with Israel reportedly pressing the White House to intervene in its conflict with Iran.

The families of Russian diplomats have left Israel, Russia's ambassador to Tel Aviv Anatoly Viktorov said on Wednesday, as Israel and Iran traded fire for a sixth day.

"Almost all the wives and children of embassy employees" left on Tuesday via Egypt "to return to their homeland," Viktorov said, interviewed by pro-Kremlin presenter Vladimir Solovyev.

He also did not rule out the possibility that the Russian embassy could be moved "to a more secure location without leaving Israel," after another night of strikes between Israel and Iran.

The families of Russian diplomats have left Israel, Russia's ambassador to Tel Aviv Anatoly Viktorov said on Wednesday, as Israel and Iran traded fire for a sixth day.

"Almost all the wives and children of embassy employees" left on Tuesday via Egypt "to return to their homeland," Viktorov said, interviewed by pro-Kremlin presenter Vladimir Solovyev.

He also did not rule out the possibility that the Russian embassy could be moved "to a more secure location without leaving Israel," after another night of strikes between Israel and Iran.

Almost 800 Chinese citizens have been evacuated from Iran since Israel launched military strikes against the country last week, Beijing said Wednesday. "Currently... 791 Chinese nationals have been relocated from Iran to safe areas," foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular news conference.

"More than 1,000 other people are in the process of relocating and withdrawing," Guo added.

And some Chinese nationals have also safely evacuated from Israel, he said. 

"China expresses its thanks to the relevant countries for providing full support and assistance," Guo said.

Satellite images analyzed Wednesday by The Associated Press appear to show that there are no longer any vessels anchored off the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet in Bahrain as the strikes between Israel and Iran continue.

The images, taken Tuesday, show the main dock there without any ships against it. Dispersing ships is a common safety technique employed by navies around the world in times of trouble.

Meanwhile Tuesday, local media reported that Bahrain conducted a test of its air raid sirens.

Iran has threatened to target U.S. military installations in the region, though there’s not been any attack so far since the Israeli campaign against Iran began on Friday.

A powerful American bunker-busting bomb is the only weapon capable of destroying Iran's deeply buried nuclear facilities, making it President Donald Trump's weapon of choice if he chooses to militarily back Israel.

Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 585 people and wounded 1,326 others, a human rights group said Wednesday.

The Washington-based group Human Rights Activists offered the figures, which covers the entirety of Iran. It said of those dead, it identified 239 civilians and 126 security force personnel being killed.

Human Rights Activists, which also provided detailed casualty figures during the 2022 protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, crosschecks local reports in the Islamic Republic against a network of sources it has developed in the country.

Iran has not been offering regular death tolls during the conflict and has minimized casualties in the past. Its last update, issued Monday, put the death toll at 224 people being killed and 1,277 others being wounded. (AP)

Egypt’s top diplomat has held calls with both Iran’s foreign minister and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, Cairo and Tehran say. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held the calls Tuesday with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Witkoff.

Abdelatty reportedly stressed “the necessity of working toward de-escalation in the region and resorting to diplomatic and political solutions that contribute to containing the escalating situation and averting the risk of a widespread conflagration in the Middle East.”

Abdelatty “underscored the imperative of achieving an immediate ceasefire and returning to the path of negotiations as the only means to reach a sustainable agreement regarding the Iranian nuclear program,” his office said in a statement. He “further emphasized the absence of military solutions to the crises currently facing the region.”

A social media account associated with Araghchi confirmed the calls took place. U.S. officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (AP)

Chinese authorities are advising all their citizens still in Iran to leave as quickly as possible, citing the “increasing scale and intensity of the Iran-Israel conflict” and the possibility that land borders may soon be closed.

No figures on the number of Chinese nationals in the country were given in the notice issued online Tuesday by the Chinese embassy.

The two countries have long maintained strong trade ties, with China a major buyer of Iranian crude oil and Iran an importer of Chinese consumer goods.

Addresses were given in the notice for the Razi crossing with Turkey, the Nordooz crossing with Armenia, the Astara crossing with Azerbaijan and the Bajgiran crossing with Turkmenistan. (AP)

A powerful American bunker-busting bomb is the only weapon capable of destroying Iran's deeply buried nuclear facilities, making it President Donald Trump's weapon of choice if he chooses to militarily back Israel.

The GBU-57, a 30,000-pound (13,607 kg) warhead capable of penetrating 200 feet (61 meters) underground before exploding, is missing from Israel's arsenal despite its stated goal of preventing Iran from building a nuclear bomb.

Iran said Wednesday it had detained five suspected agents of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency on charges of tarnishing the country's image online, Iranian news agencies reported.

"These mercenaries sought to sow fear among the public and tarnish the image of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran through their calculated activities online," the Tasnim and ISNA news agencies quoted a statement from the Revolutionary Guards as saying. They added that the arrests had been made in western Iran.

Iran on Wednesday claimed to have fired hypersonic missiles at Israel in the latest round of overnight strikes as the Islamic republic's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, launched a battle cry, calling for showing "no mercy" toward Israelis.

Flights took off for Israel on Wednesday from Cyprus, airport sources and web flight tracking sites showed, ferrying home Israelis stranded abroad during the conflict with Iran. Israel's airspace has been closed since the two countries began trading attacks on Friday, stranding tens of thousands whose flights to Tel Aviv were cancelled.

Israel announced special flights for the repatriation of its nationals on Tuesday. One flight operated by Arkia left Cyprus's Larnaca airport at 07:25 a.m. (0425 GMT) for Tel Aviv. Nine more were expected to depart Wednesday for Haifa, and four for Tel Aviv, carrying about 1,000 people, sources in airport operator Hermes said.

Israel's Transportation Ministry has said as many as 150,000 Israelis are abroad, with about a third trying to get home.

Large numbers have converged on Cyprus, the European Union member nation closest to Israel. Earlier on Wednesday, a cruise ship arrived in Cyprus carrying 1,500 participants in a Jewish heritage programme who had left Israel on Tuesday.

With Iranian leaders suffering their most dangerous security breach since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the country's cybersecurity command banned officials from using communications devices and mobile phones, Fars news agency reported.

Israel launched a "massive cyber war" against Iran's digital infrastructure, Iranian media reported.

Iran and Israel launched new missile strikes at each other on Wednesday as the air war between the two longtime enemies entered a sixth day despite a call from U.S. President Donald Trump for Iran's unconditional surrender.

In global air traffic, three gaps are seen over Iran, Ukraine and Tibet.

Iranian state television on Tuesday afternoon urged people to remove WhatsApp from their smartphones, alleging without specific evidence that the messaging app gathered user information to send to Israel.

Israeli tanks fired into a crowd trying to get aid from trucks in Gaza on Tuesday, killing at least 59 people, according to medics, in one of the bloodiest incidents yet in mounting violence as desperate residents struggle for food. 

Video shared on social media showed around a dozen mangled bodies lying in a street in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. The Israeli military, at war with Hamas-led Palestinian militants in Gaza since October 2023, acknowledged firing in the area and said it was looking into the incident.

Palestinian medics said at least 59 people were killed and 221 wounded in the incident, at least 20 of them in critical condition. Casualties were being rushed into the hospital in civilian cars, rickshaws and donkey carts. It was the worst death toll in a single day since aid resumed in Gaza in May. (Reuters)

Oil prices stabilised Wednesday after surging the previous day on fears of a US intervention in the Israel-Iran conflict sparked by Donald Trump calling for Tehran's "unconditional surrender".

The comments sent oil prices spiking more than four percent Tuesday on fears an escalation of the conflict could hammer supplies from the crude-rich region.

But while both main contracts dipped Wednesday, investors remain on edge over any negative developments.

Iran and Israel exchanged missiles for a sixth day, with the US president's latest comments appearing to dent hopes that the crisis in the Middle East could be calmed. (AFP)

Israel's military said Wednesday it struck a Iranian centrifuge production facility and multiple weapons manufacturing sites, in the latest round of strikes between the archfoes.

"More than 50 Israeli Air Force fighter jets... carried out a series of air strikes in the Tehran area over the past few hours," an Israeli army statement said. "As part of the broad effort to disrupt Iran's nuclear weapons development program, a centrifuge production facility in Tehran was targeted."

"During the wave of attacks, several weapons manufacturing sites were struck, including facilities for producing raw materials and components used to assemble surface-to-surface missiles," it added. (AFP)

Israel stunned and hobbled Iran last week when it pulled off an intelligence and military operation years in the making that struck high-level targets with precision.

Israel's precision strikes on one of Iran's most secretive and secure nuclear facilities - the Natanz nuclear complex, located deep underground, have hit the target, the UN's nuclear body said on Tuesday.

Israel stunned and hobbled Iran last week when it pulled off an intelligence and military operation years in the making that struck high-level targets with precision.

Guided by spies and artificial intelligence, the Israeli military unleashed a nighttime fusillade of warplanes and armed drones smuggled into Iran to quickly incapacitate many of its air defenses and missile systems, according to an Associated Press report.

With greater freedom to fly over Iran, Israel bombarded key nuclear sites and killed top generals and scientists. By the time Iran mustered a response hours later, its ability to retaliate — already weakened by past Israeli strikes — was greatly diminished, the report said.

The report is based on conversations with 10 current and former Israeli intelligence and military officials. 

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has issued a battle cry as Tehran used hypersonic missiles to pound Israel in the latest round of overnight strikes as the fighting moved into its sixth day.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said Wednesday that hypersonic missiles were used during the latest attack on Israel, as fighting between the archfoes entered a sixth day.

"The 11th wave of the proud Operation Honest Promise 3 using Fattah-1 missiles" was carried out, the Guards said in a statement carried by state television, claiming that Iranian forces "have gained complete control over the skies of the occupied territories".

Maxar Technologies has released high-resolution satellite images showing the extensive damage which has been inflicted by Israel on Iran's military and nuclear facilities as the two enemies continue to pound each other for the fifth straight day.

Wall Street stocks fell Tuesday after President Donald Trump hardened his rhetoric on the fighting between Iran and Israel, sparking worries of a broadening conflict. In social media posts, Trump appeared to demand Iran's "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!" while hinting at a possible US intervention as the fighting moved into its fifth day.

"It's not going in the right direction," Art Hogan, chief market strategist of B. Riley Wealth, said of Tuesday's tone after markets had advanced Monday on hopes the conflict was contained.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished down 0.7 percent at 42,215.80. The broad-based S&P 500 dropped 0.8 percent to 5,982.72, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index shed 0.9 percent to 19,521.09.

Anxiety about Iran and Israel has emerged as the market's focal point at a time when investors are also watching the Federal Reserve, which opened a two-day monetary policy meeting. (AFP)

The United States said it will close its embassy in Jerusalem until Friday amid the growing military conflict between Israel and Iran, as speculation mounts about possible American intervention.

"Given the security situation and in compliance with Israel Home Front Command guidance, the US Embassy in Jerusalem will be closed tomorrow (Wednesday, June 18) through Friday (June 20)," the embassy said in a statement posted Tuesday to its website.

On the fifth day of conflict between the Middle Eastern foes, officials also "directed that all US government employees and their family members continue to shelter in place in and near their residences until further notice." (AFP)

President Donald Trump said Tuesday the U.S. knows where Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is hiding during the Israel-Iran conflict but doesn’t want him killed “for now.” Trump urged, in a social media posting, Iran's “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” as the five-day conflict continues to escalate.

“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” Trump added. “He is an easy target, but is safe there - We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin.”

Trump's increasingly muscular comments toward the Iranian government come after he urged Tehran’s 9.5 million residents to flee for their lives as he cut short his participation in an international summit to return to Washington for urgent talks with his national security team.

The comments about Khamenei and calls for surrender came shortly after Trump in a separate posting touted complete control of the skies over Tehran. (AP)

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Issued a gig warning as Israel Iran pound each other. He said in a post on X: “In the name of the noble Haidar, the battle begins.”

Haidar is a name often used for Ali, who Shia Muslims consider the first Imam and successor to the prophet Mohammed.

“We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime. We will show the Zionists no mercy,” he said in another post.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards say hypersonic missile used to attack Israel

(AFP)

Iran and Israel launched new missile strikes at each other on Wednesday as the air war between the two longtime enemies entered a sixth day despite a call from U.S. President Donald Trump for Iran's unconditional surrender.

The Israeli military said two barrages of Iranian missiles were launched toward Israel in the first two hours of Wednesday morning. Explosions were heard over Tel Aviv.

Russia's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday denounced continued Israeli attacks on Iran as illegal and said a solution to the conflict over Tehran's nuclear programme could only be found through diplomacy.
A ministry statement posted on Telegram noted Iran's "clear statements" on its commitment to adhere to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and its willingness to meet with U.S. representatives.
The statement also said Moscow was waiting for the International Atomic Energy Agency to provide "unvarnished" assessments of the damage caused to Iranian nuclear facilities by Israeli attacks.

Iranian security forces on Tuesday arrested a "terrorist team" linked to Israel with explosives in a town southwest of the capital Tehran, Iranian state media reported. (Reuters)

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem will be shut from Wednesday through Friday due to the security situation in the region and to comply with Israeli guidance, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday.

Israel is preparing to bring back its citizens stranded abroad since its attack on Iran last week triggered the closure of its airspace, the transport minister said Tuesday.

A member of Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement said on Al Jazeera Mubasher TV on Tuesday that the group will intervene to support Iran against Israel like it did in support of Palestinians in Gaza.
Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi movement's political bureau, also reiterated to Al Jazeera Mubasher TV that the group is coordinating with Tehran during its ongoing military escalation with Israel.

Iran arrested on Tuesday a foreigner for filming "sensitive" areas near the country's Bushehr nuclear power plant for Israel, Iranian media reported.
The Iranian website eghtesadonline said the unnamed foreigner, whose nationality was not disclosed, resided illegally and filmed the power plant for Israel's spy agency Mossad.

"Unconditional Surrender," Trump Warns Iran Through Social Media Posts

Trump says US knows where Iran's supreme leader 'hiding' (AFP)

Trump says won't kill Iran supreme leader 'for now' (AFP)

Iran announces new wave of attacks on Israel: state TV (AFP)

Israel's precision strikes on one of Iran's most secretive and secure nuclear facilities - the Natanz nuclear complex, located deep underground, have hit the target, the UN's nuclear body said on Tuesday.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Tuesday that the leadership in Tehran has been weakened by Israel's attacks in the past few days and will likely not return to its former strength.

"This regime is very weakened and will probably not return to its former strength, making the future of the country uncertain. We will have to wait and see," Merz said in an interview with broadcaster Welt at the G7 summit in Canada.

He added that the Europeans' offer of diplomatic assistance, should talks resume, still stood as they did before the attacks.

"If a new situation were to arise, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom would again be prepared to provide diplomatic assistance, as they were until last Thursday," he said.

(Reuters)

Israel lifts air raid warnings, says intercepted 'most' Iran missiles (AFP)

Israel 'doing dirty work for all of us' in Iran: Germany's Merz (AFP)

Israel will continue to do what is within its capabilities to "degrade" Iran's nuclear programme, the country's ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, said on Tuesday, amid escalating tensions between the two countries.

Iranian strikes allegedly struck strategic sites within Israel, including the Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv and the military intelligence complex or AMAN in Glilot, several reports have claimed.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday he could suffer a fate "similar to" Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, who was toppled and later executed.

Series of loud blasts heard in north Tehran: AFP journalist

As the Israel-Iran conflict enters its fifth day, Benjamin Netanyahu is now seeking the US-made Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), the world's most powerful bunker buster, to take out Tehran's most fortified nuclear sites.

Iran's 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cuts an increasingly lonely figure.

Iran media says explosions heard in central city of Isfahan (AFP)

The Japanese embassy in Iran said on Tuesday it was considering evacuating Japanese nationals by transporting them by bus to a neighbouring country, as the Israel-Iran air war raged for a fifth straight day.

"This could be carried out as early as Thursday, June 19," the embassy said on the foreign ministry's website.

(Reuters)

Wall Street stocks fell early Tuesday on worries over the ongoing Iran-Israeli conflict, while data showed US retail sales fell more than expected.

Escalating fighting saw Israeli warplanes target military sites in Iran, killing a senior commander and drawing retaliatory missile fire from Iran.

Both sides say civilians have been killed in the strikes. 

(AFP)

Portugal temporarily closes Tehran embassy as conflict rages: foreign minister (AFP)

Israeli military says struck missile sites in western Iran (AFP)

Qatar has been monitoring radiation levels in the Gulf as Israeli air strikes pound Iranian nuclear facilities, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.

"We are monitoring this on a daily basis," foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told a news conference.

"We have nothing to be concerned about right now, but obviously prolonged escalation will have unpredictable consequences."

(AFP)

The Czech Republic and Slovakia have taken 139 people home on government planes from Israel because of its conflict with Iran, authorities said on Tuesday.

A Czech government plane carrying 66 people landed in Prague on Tuesday morning a day after a Slovak plane had taken 73 evacuees to Bratislava from Amman.

Israel closed its air space last Friday after conducting strikes on Iran.

(AFP)

UN nuclear watchdog says signs of 'direct impacts' on underground part of Iran's Natanz facility (AFP)

Qatar said on Tuesday its gas production at the South Pars field is steady and supply is proceeding normally, after the world's largest gas field was struck by Israel on Saturday, prompting Iran to partially suspend its production.

Qatar, the world's third biggest liquefied natural gas exporter after the US and Australia, shares the South Pars gas field with Iran.

Iran partially suspended production at the field after an Israeli strike caused a fire on Saturday.

(Reuters)

China's Xi urges Israel-Iran de-escalation 'as soon as possible': state media (afp)

Fire erupts at strike-damaged Iran state TV building, broadcaster says (AFP)

China's Xi 'deeply worried' about Israel's military action against Iran: state media (AFP)

Ukraine urges citizens to leave Israel and Iran 'as soon as possible' (AFP)

Two loud explosions heard in Iran capital: AFP

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that it saw that Israel did not want mediation efforts over its conflict with Iran, now in its fifth day amid what Moscow said was "galloping escalation".

Israel launched its air war with a surprise attack last week that has killed nearly the entire top echelon of Iran's military commanders and its leading nuclear scientists. Iran has responded with a barrage of strikes on Israeli cities.

In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called on both sides to exercise "maximum restraint".

"The situation is continuing to escalate rapidly. The level of unpredictability is absolute," he said.

(Reuters)

Kremlin says Israel 'reluctant' to accept outside mediation over Iran conflict (AFP)

Jordan king calls Iran-Israel conflict threat to 'region and beyond' (AFP)

US President Donald Trump said he wanted a "real end" to the nuclear problem with Iran, with Iran "giving up entirely" on nuclear weapons, in comments he made to reporters on Air Force One on his way back from the Group of Seven summit in Canada.

"Giving up entirely," Trump told reporters early on Tuesday. "Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, it's very simple."

(Reuters)

China on Tuesday accused President Donald Trump of "pouring oil" on the mounting conflict between Iran and Israel, after the US leader warned Tehran residents to "immediately evacuate".

"Fanning the flames, pouring oil, making threats and mounting pressure will not help to promote the de-escalation of the situation, but will only intensify and widen the conflict," foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said when asked about Trump's remarks at a regular news conference.

The Israeli military said Tuesday it killed Iran's top military commander, Ali Shadmani, in an overnight strike, calling him the closest figure to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In a statement, the military said following "a sudden opportunity overnight, the (Israeli air force) struck a staffed command centre in the heart of Tehran and eliminated Ali Shadmani, the war-time Chief of Staff, the most senior military commander, and the closest figure to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei".

The Israeli military said Shadmani had commanded both the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian armed forces.

As tensions continue to rise in West Asia, Indian students in Tehran recalled the initial hours of the conflict between Israel and Iran.

Loud booms were heard over Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on Tuesday, AFP journalists reported, after air raid sirens sounded in several parts of Israel and the military warned of incoming Iranian missiles.

"A short while ago, sirens sounded in several areas across Israel following the identification of missiles launched from Iran toward the State of Israel," the military said in a statement, adding that the air force was "operating to intercept and strike where necessary to eliminate the threat."

US President Donald Trump said his early departure from the G7 summit in Canada on Monday had "nothing to do" with working on ceasefire between Israel and Iran, adding France's leader, Emmanuel Macron, was "wrong" in how he described the exit.

"Publicity seeking President Emmanuel Macron, of France, mistakenly said that I left the G7 Summit, in Canada, to go back to D.C. to work on a 'cease fire' between Israel and Iran," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

"Wrong! He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that. Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong. Stay Tuned!"

French President Emmanuel Macron has claimed that his American counterpart, Donald Trump, is considering the prospect of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

A day after US officials confirmed that Donald Trump had vetoed Israeli plans to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated that the quickest way to end this conflict is for Israel to take out the Ayatollah.

Britain, France, Germany call on Iran to hold nuclear talks 'as soon as possible', news agency AFP reported quoting a French diplomatic source.

Israel's military said it conducted "several extensive strikes" overnight Tuesday on military targets in western Iran, as the arch-foes traded fire for a fifth straight day.

"During the strikes, dozens of surface-to-surface missile storage and launch infrastructure were struck. In addition, surface-to-air missile launchers and UAV storage sites were struck in western Iran," the military said in a statement.

Israel army says conducted 'extensive strikes' on military targets in west Iran. (AFP)

Journalists at the United Nations Pressed 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 UN 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. (AP)

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.

Sirens were sounded across northern Israel following another barrage of Iranian missiles, Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said in a post on X. 

The Indian Embassy in Iran asked all Indian Nationals and persons of Indian origin, who can move out of Tehran using their own resources, to move to a safe location outside the city.

"All Indian Nationals who are in Tehran and not in touch with the Embassy are requested to contact the Embassy of India in Tehran immediately and provide their Location and Contact numbers. Kindly contact: +989010144557; +989128109115; +989128109109," it said in a post on X. 

China's embassy in Israel on Tuesday urged its citizens to leave the country "as soon as possible", after Israel and Iran traded heavy strikes.

"The Chinese mission in Israel reminds Chinese nationals to leave the country as soon as possible via land border crossings, on the precondition that they can guarantee their personal safety," the embassy said in a statement on WeChat.

"It is recommended to depart in the direction of Jordan," it added. (AFP)

Oil prices rallied Tuesday after Donald Trump urged Tehran residents to evacuate, stoking fresh fears of all-out war as Israel and Iran continued to pound each other with missiles. Hopes that the deadly conflict can be contained helped most equities rise, while the US president's earlier claim that the Islamic republic wanted to make a nuclear deal also provided a little optimism.

After Friday's surge sparked by Israel's attacks on its regional foe, crude ticked more than one percent lower Monday as traders bet that the battle would not spread throughout the Middle East and key oil sites were mostly left untouched.

But prices edged back up after Trump took to social media calling for the evacuation of the Iranian capital, which is home to nearly 10 million people. (AFP)

G7 leaders attending a summit in Canada on Monday issued a joint statement calling for "de-escalation" on Iran, while stressing Israel had the right to defend itself in the escalating Middle East crisis.

"We affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself," the statement said. "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."

French President Emmanuel Macron has claimed that his American counterpart, Donald Trump, is considering the prospect of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

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. (AP)

“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. (AP)

Missiles have been raining from the skies across most of Iran, especially its capital, Tehran, as Israel has claimed "total air superiority" over the gulf nation as hostilities grow exponentially between the two arch rivals.

Iranian parliamentarians are preparing a bill that could push Tehran toward exiting the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the foreign ministry said on Monday, while reiterating Tehran's official stance against developing nuclear weapons.

 Iran has activated high level air defences in Tehran in anticipation of Israeli strikes.

French President Emmanuel Macron has claimed that his American counterpart, Donald Trump, is considering the prospect of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

"There is indeed an offer to meet and exchange. An offer was made especially to get a ceasefire and to then kick-start broader discussions ... We have to see now whether the sides will follow," he said while speaking in Canada.

Describing Trump's early exit from the G7 summit as a positive development, Macron said, "Right now I believe negotiations need to restart and that civilians need to be protected."

Israel struck an Iranian state TV building -- forcing a presenter to flee mid-broadcast -- in the latest dramatic escalation of a major aerial campaign launched Friday, which has seen nuclear and military sites in Iran hit, as well as residential areas and fuel depots.

Iran's health ministry said at least 224 people have been killed and more than 1,200 wounded.

Tehran has responded with barrages of missiles and drones that hit Israeli cities and towns, killing at least 24 people and wounding 592 others, according to the prime minister's office.

Israel says it has also killed many top military commanders and atomic scientists in Iran, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying late Monday that Israel was eliminating Iran's security leadership "one after the other". (AFP)

The Iranian Red Crescent said Monday that three of its rescuers were killed by an Israeli air strike in northwest Tehran.

"This incident is not only a crime against international humanitarian law but also a blatant attack on humanity and morality," the organisation said in a statement, adding that the three workers were aiding the wounded in the capital's Shahid Bagheri district.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday issued a direct plea for the "good people of Iran" to stand against Tehran's "radical tyranny", saying that "a light has been lit, carry it to freedom". In a 13-minute interview with London-based channel "Iran International", the Israeli leader insisted that "you're not our enemy. We're not your enemy."

"We have a common enemy, and we're resolutely fighting them, and I believe you'll have an opportunity to be free soon," he added.

Israel has unleashed days of punishing strikes across Iran, which has responded with volleys of missiles. The Israeli Prime Minister said in a separate interview on Monday that Iranians now saw their government as "much weaker than they thought", and urged them put pressure on their leaders. (AFP)

President Donald Trump voiced confidence Monday that Iran would eventually sign a nuclear deal as he warned without specifying that the United States will be "doing something" once he leaves a G7 summit. "I think a deal will be signed, or something will happen. But a deal will be signed," Trump told reporters at the summit in Canada.

"And I think Iran is foolish not to sign one," Trump said as he met British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Trump said without elaborating: "As soon as I leave here, we're going to be doing something. But I have to leave here."

He did not provide any further details, and is expected to leave the summit in the Canadian Rockies on Tuesday. Trump also refused to comment on whether the United States would offer military support to Israel to destroy Iran's nuclear program. He earlier said that the United States was not involved in Israel's offensive but has praised the strikes and boasted that Israel uses US weapons.

As the conflict between Israel and Iran intensifies, people in Tehran have been warned of a major Israeli attack after Iran's ballistic missiles caused significant damage in Tel Aviv. People in Iran's capital are leaving the city. So are Indians.

The United States is reinforcing its military presence in the Middle East to enhance its "defensive posture," Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth said Monday, as arch-rivals Iran and Israel ramp up their deadly conflict.

"Over the weekend, I directed the deployment of additional capabilities to the United States Central Command Area of Responsibility," Hegseth posted on X. "Protecting US forces is our top priority and these deployments are intended to enhance our defensive posture in the region." (AFP)

The Israeli army issued a brief air raid warning for Tel Aviv and Beersheva in the south early on Tuesday due to incoming Iranian missiles before dropping the alert. Sirens "sounded in several areas of Israel" at around 12:30am local time (2130 GMT), the army said, adding that the Israeli air force was "operating to intercept and strike where necessary to eliminate the threat."

In a second message shortly afterwards, it said it was "now permitted to leave protected spaces in all areas across the country." The air raid warnings were the first overnight Monday-Tuesday following statements from the Iranian military that a new wave of drone and missile attacks had begun.

Iran will strike Israel "without interruption until dawn", its Revolutionary Guards said earlier.

Iran's Foreign Minister and chief nuclear negotiator Abbas Araghchi said Israel's strikes against his country "deal a blow" to diplomacy during a call Monday with his French, British, and German counterparts.

"The Israeli aggression against Iran in the midst of nuclear negotiations with the United States is a blow to diplomacy," Abbas Araghchi said during a call reported by his ministry with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, the United Kingdom's David Lammy, Germany's Johann Wadephul, and the European Union's head of foreign affairs Kaja Kallas.

These three countries and the EU, along with China and Russia, signed a nuclear deal with Iran in 2015, but the United States later unilaterally withdrew.

French President Emmanuel Macron called on Israel and Iran to stop attacking civilians. He also warned Jerusalem that trying to overthrow Tehran's clerical state would be a “strategic error”.

“All who have thought that by bombing from the outside you can save a country in spite of itself have always been mistaken,” Macron he said. 

US forces in the Middle East remain in a "defensive posture, and that has not changed," the White House said Monday as Israel and Iran traded heavy strikes for a fourth day.

"We will defend American interests," White House spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer added in a post on social media.

Israel's army warned early Tuesday that it had detected new missiles launched from Iran, as the arch foes exchanged fire for a fifth day.

"A short while ago, sirens sounded in several areas in northern Israel following the identification of missiles launched from Iran toward the State of Israel," the Israeli army posted on Telegram, adding it was working to intercept the threat.

US President Donald Trump was on Monday leaving a Group of Seven summit early as he hinted of greater involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict and warned Tehran residents to evacuate.

Before flying out of Canada in the middle of the G7 gathering, Trump took to social media to back Israel and issue an alert to the Iranian capital of nearly 10 million people.

"Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!" he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

At a group photo with fellow G7 leaders in the scenic mountain resort of Kananaskis, he said: "I have to be back as soon as I can. I wish I could stay for tomorrow, but they understand, this is big stuff."

As tensions continue to rise in West Asia, Indian students in Tehran recalled the initial hours of the conflict between Israel and Iran.

Israel and Iran attacked each other for a fifth straight day on Tuesday, and U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iranians to evacuate Tehran, citing what he said was the country's rejection of a deal to curb nuclear weapons development.

Amid heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, the Indian embassy in both countries shared helpline numbers on Sunday to stay in touch with Indian nationals currently there. In a series of posts on X, the Indian embassy in Tehran informed that the Telegram link is "ONLY" for Indian citizens who are in Iran.