US President Donald Trump has urged Iranians to evacuate Tehran, as Israel and Iran traded strikes for a fifth consecutive day in the most intense confrontation the two regional rivals have ever faced.
He warns that the regime’s refusal to accept curbs on its nuclear programme was endangering lives.
The continuing escalation dominated the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada, where world leaders called for an immediate de-escalation of hostilities and reaffirmed their position that “Iran must never possess a nuclear weapon”. The leaders also backed Israel’s right to self-defence, describing Tehran as a source of regional instability.
President Trump left the G7 summit early, citing the crisis in the Middle East, but dismissed reports that he had departed to pursue a ceasefire deal between the warring nations. French President Emmanuel Macron had suggested that the US had initiated a truce proposal, but Trump fired back late Monday 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.”
Earlier that day, Trump took to the same platform to issue a stark warning: “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!”
Despite the intensifying rhetoric, reports from Axios indicated that the White House was still exploring the possibility of a meeting this week between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Reuters was unable to verify the Axios report.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News that the Trump administration remained committed to securing a nuclear deal, even as it vowed to defend American assets in the region.
In the early hours of Tuesday, Iranian media reported explosions across Tehran, particularly in the eastern districts, where smoke was seen rising after suspected Israeli missile strikes. Air defences were also activated in Natanz, home to key nuclear facilities, according to the Iranian news outlet Asriran.
Israel later confirmed it had struck Iran’s state broadcasting authority, with television footage showing a newsreader fleeing her desk mid-broadcast as an explosion rocked the studio. Iranian state TV said three people were killed in the attack.
The Israeli military also claimed to have hit a range of Iranian military targets, including missile launchers and weapons storage sites. In Israel, air raid sirens wailed across Tel Aviv after midnight and again at dawn, followed by explosions heard in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Herzliya. Witnesses reported damage to buildings in some locations.
Casualties on both sides continue to mount. Iranian officials said 224 people, mostly civilians, had been killed since the conflict began, while Israel reported 24 civilian deaths. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that around 3,000 Israelis had been evacuated from conflict-hit areas.
Diplomatic sources told Reuters that Iran had reached out to Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia to urge Trump to press Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to an immediate ceasefire. In return, Tehran reportedly offered potential flexibility in nuclear negotiations.
“If President Trump is genuine about diplomacy and interested in stopping this war, next steps are consequential,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X. “Israel must halt its aggression, and absent a total cessation of military aggression against us, our responses will continue.”
Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes and remains within its rights as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Israel, which is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, is not a party to the NPT and has never officially acknowledged its arsenal.
Oil prices surged by over 2% in early trading in Asia on Tuesday following Trump’s evacuation warning, reversing previous day losses amid speculation that Iran may be seeking an end to hostilities.
In a further sign of growing global alarm, the Chinese embassy in Israel urged its citizens to leave the country immediately via land routes due to the escalating violence and the closure of Israeli airspace.
The latest exchange of strikes included Israeli attacks on Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities. Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said that Iran’s Natanz facility had suffered “extensive damage”, potentially destroying up to 15,000 centrifuges. The Fordow facility, however, remained largely untouched.
Scheduled nuclear talks between Iran and the US , planned for 15 June and brokered by Oman, were cancelled. Tehran said it could not negotiate while under direct attack.
Israel launched its offensive with a surprise strike that reportedly killed much of Iran’s senior military command and its top nuclear scientists. Israeli officials claim they now have control over Iranian airspace and intend to intensify the campaign in the days ahead.
President Trump has repeatedly asserted that the conflict could end swiftly if Iran agreed to strict constraints on its nuclear ambitions. “This war ends the moment Iran makes the right choice,” he said earlier this week.
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