Trump urges Tehran to ‘evacuate immediately’; US team discusses possibility of nuclear deal talks with Iran this week, says report

Israel warned hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate the middle of Iran's capital as Israel’s air campaign on Tehran appeared to broaden on the fourth day of an intensifying conflict. An Iranian television anchor fled her studio during a live broadcast as bombs fell on the headquarters of the country's state-run TV station. US President Donald Trump posted an ominous message on his social media site later Monday calling for the immediate evacuation of Tehran. “IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” Trump wrote, adding that “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on social media shortly after Trump’s post that he was returning from the G7 summit in Canada a day early due to the intensifying conflict between. Israel says strikes have set back nuclear program Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli strikes have set Iran’s nuclear program back a “very, very long time," and told reporters he is in daily touch with Trump. “The regime is very weak,” he added. Israel says its sweeping assault on Iran’s top military leaders, uranium enrichment sites and nuclear scientists, is necessary to prevent its longtime adversary from getting any closer to building an atomic weapon.

The strikes have killed at least 224 people since Friday. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful, and the US and others have assessed that Tehran has not had an organized effort to pursue a nuclear weapon since 2003. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly warned that the country has enough enriched uranium to make several nuclear bombs should it choose to do so. Iran has retaliated by launching more than 370 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel.

- AP

The Iranian authorities have confirmed that they are extending the air space closure in the country until 14:00 local time (10:30 GMT), in order to protect the safety and security of passengers and flights.

The air space in Iran has been shut since Friday when Israel started attacking the country with heavy bombardments, and the flights have taken alternative routes, BBC reported.

US President Donald Trump's team has reportedly proposed to hold talks with Iran regarding the nuclear deal this week, Reuters reported quoting Axios.

The White House is discussing with Iran for a possible meeting between US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi amid heightened tension and continued hostilities between Tel Aviv and Tehran.

The Israeli emergency service has stated that there were no injuries reported in the latest Iranian strikes on northern Israel.

According to Israel's national emergency service Magen David Adom (MDA), it didn't receive any emergency call amid sirens blaring in Tel Aviv but emergency workers have treated "a few isolated cases of people" who were hurt on their way to bomb shelters.

Residents of northern Israel are now allowed to leave the shelters as the current threat from the fresh barrage of Iranian strike is over, announced Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Earlier, sirens were blazing across several parts of Israel after Iran launched a salvo of missiles towards Tel Aviv early on Tuesday morning.

The Ministry of External Affairs announced on Tuesday that it has established a control room in its premises due to the prevailing situation in Iran and Israel, and added that emergency helpline numbers have also been issued.

The contact details of the control room are as under:

In addition, the Embassy of India in Tehran, Iran has set up a 24x7 emergency helpline with contact details below:

A staffer at the Iranian state broadcaster IRIB was killed on Monday night after an attack by the Israeli military on the building during a live broadcast, The Guardian reported citing Iran's local media.

The staffer named Masoumeh Azimi succumbed to the injuries after an Israeli missile struck the building of IRIB, reported Press TV.

China's embassy in Israel has urged its citizens to leave the country "as soon as possible" amid the heightened tension between Tehran and Tel Aviv as both the warring nations trade heavy strikes at each other.

The Chinese embassy, in a statement on WeChat said, "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," BBC reported.

Chinese mission on Tuesday said that the Israel-Iran conflict was continuing to escalate.

US Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio is also reportedly returning to the White House along with President Donald Trump from G7 Summit being held in Canada, BBC reported.

Earlier, it was announced that Trump would return to Washington early due to the prevailing situation in the Middle East.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News on Monday that President Donald Trump was still aiming for a nuclear deal with Iran even as hostilities have escalated between US ally Israel and Tehran, while a White House aide said separately that Washington was not attacking Iran.

"Of course," Hegseth said on Fox News' "Jesse Watters Primetime" show when asked if Trump was still aiming for a nuclear deal with Iran.

"We are postured defensively in the region to be strong in pursuit of a peace deal. And we certainly hope that's what happens here," Hegseth said.

A White House aide has clarified that the United States has not joined the Israeli offensive against Iran as claimed by some activists and users on social media.

According to a post by Alex Pfeiffe, Deputy Assistant to the US President Donald Trump, "American forces are maintaining their defensive posture, and that has not changed. We will defend American interests."

Sirens and alerts have sounded again over central Israel after the country's military forces identified missiles, fired by Iran, heading towards the capital Tel Aviv.

Informing about the missiles launched from Iran, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in a post on X stated "Sirens sounding across central Israel following a missile launch from Iran."

France President Emmanuel Macron has said that his US counterpart Donald Trump told the G7 leaders that discussions to finalise a ceasefire between Israel and Iran was underway, and that governments of respective countries in European Union would be ready to take part in the Iran nuclear negotiations if a ceasefire is reached.

"If the US can achieve a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, that's a very good thing," Macron said, reported BBC.

Amid the heightened tension between Israel and Iran, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has said that United States is vigilant and prepared and that America will defend its assets in the region, Reuters reported.

This omes after President Donald Trump urged everyone to "immediately evacuate" the capital city Tehran and added that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has said that it has identified missiles launched from Iran towards the capital Tel Aviv early on Monday, Reuters reported.

After Israeli strikes landed near the hotel where he was staying in the Iranian province of Qom, Aimal Hussein desperately wanted to return home. But the 55-year-old Afghan businessman couldn't find a way, with Iranian airspace completely shut down. He fled to Tehran after the strike Sunday, but no taxi would take him to the border as the conflict between Iran and Israel intensified. “Flights, markets, everything is closed, and I am living in the basement of a small hotel,” Hussein told The Associated Press by cellphone on Monday. "I am trying to get to the border by taxi, but they are hard to find, and no one is taking us.”

Israel launched a major attack Friday with strikes in the Iranian capital of Tehran and elsewhere, killing senior military officials, nuclear scientists, and destroying critical infrastructure. Among the targets was a nuclear enrichment facility about 18 miles from Qom. Iran has retaliated with hundreds of drones and missiles. The dayslong attacks between the two bitter enemies have opened a new chapter in their turbulent recent history. Many in the region fear a wider conflict as they watch waves of attacks across their skies every night.

The conflict has forced most countries in the Middle East to close their airspace. Dozens of airports have stopped all flights or severely reduced operations, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded and others unable to flee the conflict or travel home.Airport closures create ‘massive’ domino, tens of thousands stranded “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.

- AP

US President Donald Trump has reportedly requested the National Security Council to be prepared in the Situation Room as he cut short his visit to Canada for the G7 Summit, and plans to return to the White House tonight after the dinner with the Heads of the State amid the prevailing tension and hostilities between Israel and Iran, Reuters reported quoting Fox News.

Earlier, Trump had posted on his Truth Social that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and that everyone should evacuate Tehran immediately.

European foreign ministers told their Iranian counterpart in a call on Monday to return to nuclear negotiations with the US and refrain from escalating conflict with Israel, to which Iran's foreign minister said Tehran's priority was to confront Israel for now, according to a French diplomatic source. Israel launched what it called Operation Rising Lion against Iran's nuclear facilities in the early hours of Friday, just two days before US and Iranian negotiators were due to resume talks to forge a new deal on Iran's nuclear programme.

Israel called it a preemptive strike designed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran has denied plans to develop such weapons and retaliated by launching counterstrikes on Israel. France, Britain and Germany, known as the E3, are party to the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, which aimed to curb Iran's nuclear programme in return for sanctions lifting. Last week they put forward a resolution that was approved by the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, a UN watchdog, which declared Iran in breach of its nuclear non-proliferation obligations.

"The ministers urged Iran to return to the negotiating table as quickly as possible, without preconditions," the source said, calling on Iran to avoid any headlong rush against Western interests. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was quoted by state media saying that he had recalled Iran's seriousness in diplomacy and emphasised that, "Iran has never left the negotiating table, but that (Tehran's) focus at this stage is, of course, to effectively... confront aggression."

- Reuters

US President Donald Trump is cutting short his visit to Canada for the G7 Summit and returning to Washington DC tonight due to the prevailing situation in the Middle East, the White House said on Tuesday.

In a post on X, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said "Because of what’s going on in the Middle East, President Trump will be leaving tonight after dinner with Heads of State."

Moments earlier, Trump in a Truth Social post said "America first means many great things, including the fact that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Make America Great Again." Trump earlier urged everyone to "immediately evacuate" Tehran.

Amid the fresh round of strikes by Israeli military, air defence has been activated in central Iran's Natanz, which is the site of a key nuclear facility. The site of Natanz has already been targeted by Israel, BBC reported.

Natanz is located 225 kilometres south of Tehran. Earlier, Israel told residents to evacuate parts of northeastern Tehran until US President Donald Trump asked Tehran to "immediately evacuate".

Several explosions and heavy air defence fire have been heard in Iran's capital Tehran on intervening night of Monday and Tuesday amid the warning by US President Donald Trump to "immediately evacuate" Tehran, Reuters reported quoting Iranian media.

US President Donald Trump has urged all of Tehran to "immediately evacuate" in a social media post as he says Iran can’t have nuclear weapon.

Trump said, "Iran should have signed the “deal” I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!"

Iran's top diplomat Araqchi has said "The attack by Israel on Iran's state broadcaster, which is not a military facility, is the height of cowardice and a sign of desperation," Reuters reported quoting state media.

This comes amid Israel's bombardment of Iran's state broadcaster on live television on Monday.

World leaders at the Group of Seven summit in Canada scrambled Monday to find a way to contain the conflict between Israel and Iran, with US President Donald Trump warning that Tehran needs to curb its nuclear program before it’s “too late. "The US president said Iranian leaders would “like to talk” but they had already had 60 days to reach an agreement on their nuclear ambitions and failed to do so before an Israeli aerial assault began four days ago.

“They have to make a deal,” he said. The summit's host at the Rocky Mountain retreat, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, said the world was looking to the G7 for leadership at a “hinge” moment in time. “We’re gathering at one of those turning points in history,” Carney said. “The world’s more divided and dangerous.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held an hourlong informal meeting soon after arriving at the summit late Sunday to discuss the widening conflict in the Mideast, Starmer’s office said.

And Merz told reporters that Germany is planning to draw up a final communique proposal on the Israel-Iran conflict that will stress that “Iran must under no circumstances be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons-capable material.” Trump, for his part, said Iran "is not winning this war. And they should talk and they should talk immediately before it’s too late.” Asked what it would take for the US to get involved in the conflict militarily, Trump said, “I don’t want to talk about that."

- AP

Israel's Energy Ministry spokesperson assured that the country's energy sector is fully capable of meeting the nation's fuel needs despite recent disruptions.-Reuters

Israel's Haifa-based Bazan Group has shut down all refinery facilities after a power station used to produce steam and electricity was significantly damaged in an Iranian attack.

The attack resulted in the deaths of three company employees. The Bazan Group reported that the refinery, located in Haifa Bay, suffered damage to pipelines and transmission lines between facilities. (Reuters)

According to reports, an Iranian ballistic missile struck the Bazan Group oil refinery complex in Haifa, Israel, resulting in the deaths of three employees. (Reuters)

Iran has urged the United Nations Security Council to take immediate action against Israel for its recent attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, which Iran considers a serious threat to global security. In a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the Security Council, Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani accused Israel of violating international law.

Iravani referenced UNSC Resolution 487 (1981), which condemned Israel's strike on Iraq's Osirak reactor, emphasizing the need for the Security Council to act.

Iran has launched a combined drone and missile operation targeting Tel Aviv and Haifa, according to Iranian state TV. (Reuters)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israeli strikes against Iran have significantly set back its nuclear program, stating, "I estimate we are sending them back a very, very long time.

I can’t elaborate." He emphasized Israel's control over Iranian airspace and expressed optimism about achieving complete victory in the conflict.

Netanyahu also highlighted Israel's coordination with the US, saying, "I greatly appreciate the help that the US is giving us," particularly in intercepting Iranian missiles and drones.-CNN