U.S. President Donald Trump posted an ominous message on his social media site, calling for the immediate evacuation of Tehran but later denied reports he had rushed back to Washington to work on a ceasefire.
Israel's air campaign on the Iranian capital appeared to broaden an intensifying conflict after it issued warnings on Monday for about 300,000 people in Tehran to evacuate ahead of airstrikes.
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People were seen leaving the city Tuesday morning — the fifth day of the intensifying conflict — as shops and the historic Grand Bazaar were closed. Iranian authorities insist everything is under control and no guidance has been issued.
Here’s the latest:
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The UN watchdog now says Israeli strikes had ‘direct impacts’ on Iran's Natanz enrichment site
The International Atomic Energy Agency says it now believes Israeli airstrikes on Iran’s Natanz enrichment site had “direct impacts” on the facility’s underground centrifuge halls. It did not elaborate.
It's the first time the U.N. nuclear watchdog has assessed damage from the strikes in the underground parts of Natanz, which is the main enrichment facility of Iran’s program.
Earlier, it was clear that Natanz's above-ground enrichment hall had been destroyed, as well as electrical equipment that powered the facility.
Iran has not discussed the damage done in depth at Natanz as the country is reeling from the ongoing Israeli strikes that are dismantling its air defense and killing its top military commanders.
After being stranded in Saudi Arabia, Iranian pilgrims take the long land route home
Dozens of Iranian pilgrims were in Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage when they got stranded by the ongoing Israeli-Iranian conflict that has left much of the Mideast’s airspace closed and reduced traffic at dozens of airports.
Since they couldn't take the flight back to Iran, some 100 pilgrims travelled first by bus to neighboring Iraq, where they are now waiting in the southern city of Karbala to cross the border to Iran.
“This war came in and it was not in our hands” said Aziz Mohammed Khan, one of the Iranian pilgrims. “They told us that we will stay and take a rest here for about two hours, then after the two hours we will be sent back to Mehran border crossing in Iran.”
The pilgrims sat at a waiting hall where the buses were parked. Some sat on the benches, while others sat on the ground in the shade to avoid the sweltering summer heat.
Iran's Nobel Peace Prize laureate on leave from prison in Tehran indicates she's left the city
Narges Mohammadi, who has been on an extended leave from Evin Prison in the Iranian capital, has signaled she’s fled Tehran amid the Israeli strikes.
Mohammadi wrote on X: “I left home.” She said she hoped to return one day.
“I know millions of our fellow citizens are leaving their homes to escape war — fleeing death, fear, and destruction —and because there is no shelter left in their cities, they seek refuge in others,” she wrote. “Let’s be each other’s refuge.”
She did not say where she was or where she was going.
Mohammadi, who has kept up her activism despite numerous arrests and spending years behind bars, had been serving 13 years and nine months on charges of collusion against state security and propaganda against Iran’s government.
Kremlin says all Russians in Tehran who want to leave will be evacuated
Spokesman Dmitry Peskov says the Russian embassy in Tehran is working “around the clock” to make sure all Russian nationals could evacuate from Iran though a checkpoint on the border with Azerbaijan.
He said Moscow was “very grateful” to Azerbaijan for assistance on the border. “This work continues around the clock.”
Peskov deplored that the situation in the Middle East was “still on the path of further escalation, galloping escalation.”
Asked if there's been any response to Moscow’s proposal to mediate the conflict, Peskov said: “At the moment, we see a reluctance, at least on the part of Israel, to turn to any kind of mediation services.”
As Tehran empties out, a cyberattack targets one of its banks
Bank Sepah, the first bank established in Iran, saw its online services disrupted in an apparent cyberattack. The semiofficial Fars news agency said that will likely cause a disruption at some gasoline stations.
The hackers identified themselves as “Gonjeshke Darande,” or “Predatory Sparrow.” The group has claimed hacking a major steel mill in 2022 and disrupting gas stations in 2023.
Iran, long sanctioned by the West, has difficulties in getting up-to-date hardware and software, often relying on Chinese-manufactured electronics or older systems no longer being patched by manufacturers. Pirated versions of Windows and other software are common across Iran.
Jordan's king says violence in Iran, Israel and Gaza is a ‘threat to people everywhere’
King Abdullah II condemned Israel's offensive on Iran in a speech to European Union parliamentarians on Tuesday in Strasbourg, France.
“There is no telling where the boundaries of this battleground will end,” he said. “And that, my friends, is a threat to people everywhere.”
Often interrupted by applause, the king said that “consequences ripple across borders.”
“When our global community fails to bridge the gap between principle and action, when values are not practiced, they become performative, abstract and expendable," he said. "We are at another defining crossroad in our history, one that demands a choice, power or principle the rule of law or the rule of force, decline or renewal.”
More explosions in Tehran as group reports mounting death toll
The sound of two explosions rang out across Tehran early on Tuesday afternoon. Black smoke rose from the northern part of the city, near Iranian state television headquarters and other government offices. There was no immediate acknowledgement from authorities of the attack.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Activists, a Washington-based group that monitors Iran, said it had counted at least 452 deaths and 646 people injured in Iran since the Israeli campaign started last Friday.
The group crosschecks local reports in Iran against a network of sources it has developed in the country.
US joining conflict would lead to ‘broader conflict,’ EU foreign policy chief
The European Union’s top diplomat said on Tuesday that the United States joining the conflict between Israel and Iran would “drag the region into a broader conflict.”
Kaja Kallas added that during a recent call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, he had “emphasized that it’s also not in their interest to be drawn into this conflict.”
Kallas said the foreign ministers of the 27-nation bloc, in a video conference meeting, agreed on a peaceful political resolution of the conflict in Gaza and between Israel and Iran .
“Ministers called on all sides to abide by international law, exercise restraint and avoid actions that could spiral out of control.”
She said that “all agreed the urgent need for de-escalation” and that “Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb and diplomacy is the solution to prevent this.”
Russian drone production not affected by conflict
Russia makes the drones it uses in its war in Ukraine and is unlikely to be impacted immediately by the conflict in the Middle East, said David Albright, an expert on Russian and Iranian drones.
The drones are made predominantly in the Alabuga plant in Russia’s Tatarstan region and while Moscow initially bought a limited number of drones from Tehran, it later opened its own production facilities.
Iran has “decades of experience” building drones, Albright said, and Russia could suffer because it will not be able to get more “advanced drone models” from Iran, which is likely to need them.
Trump rejects intelligence assessment on Iran nukes
The Republican president insisted that Tehran was “very close” to building a nuclear weapon despite congressional testimony from his top intelligence adviser earlier this year.
Back in March, National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard told lawmakers that spy agencies have assessed that “Iran is not building a nuclear weapon” and the country’s supreme leader “has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003.”
Trump dismissed that when speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One during an overnight flight back to Washington after leaving the G7 summit early.
“I don’t care what she said,” Trump said. “I think they were very close to having it.”
Trump not ‘in the mood to negotiate’
“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, it’s very simple,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One during his overnight flight back to Washington.
He accused Iranian leaders of being unwilling to reach an agreement over their nuclear program, and suggested he was now less interested in talking with them.
“They should have done the deal. I told them, do the deal,” Trump said. “So I don’t know. I’m not too much in the mood to negotiate.”
The Republican president, who said he plans to meet with advisers in the Situation Room, appears to be gradually building the public case for a more direct American role in the conflict.
His shift in tone comes as the U.S. has repositioned warships and military aircraft in the region to respond if the conflict between Israel and Iran further escalates.
Iran cancels leave for medical personnel
In Tehran on Tuesday, placards and boards calling for a “severe” response to Israel could be seen everywhere.
Authorities cancelled leave and vacations for doctors and nurses as the attacks continue.
Long lines could be seen at gas stations.
European leaders push for de-escalation
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday night and then in the ensuing hours with the Iranian, British and German foreign ministers about the situation in the Mideast.
The French, British and German ministers passed on joint messages to the Iranian foreign minister about the need for a de-escalation and a return to diplomacy, according to a French diplomatic official.
They urged Iran to return to negotiations as soon as possible, without conditions, the official said.
They urged Iran to avoid any threats to Western interests, any extension of hostilities elsewhere in the region and any nuclear escalation including leaving the Non-Proliferation Treaty, stopping cooperation with the IAEA or pursuing further enrichment, the official said.
The ministers also passed along messages to Israel on the need to not target Iranian authorities, infrastructure and the civilian population, the official said.
The official was not authorized to be publicly named in accordance with Foreign Ministry policy.
Italy's Meloni reiterates negotiations with Iran
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni reaffirmed “the opportunity to reopen the road of negotiations” with Iran during a bilateral meeting with President Trump on the sidelines of the G-7 meeting in Canada, her office said in a statement Tuesday.
She also underlined “the necessity in this moment” of reaching a ceasefire in Gaza.
More than 40 Palestinians killed while waiting for aid in Gaza
At least 45 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip while waiting for U.N. and commercial trucks to enter the territory with desperately needed food, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry and a local hospital.
The circumstances of the killings were not immediately clear.
Palestinians say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire on crowds trying to reach food distribution points run by a separate U.S. and Israeli-backed aid group since the centers opened last month.
Local health officials say scores have been killed and hundreds wounded.
In those instances, the Israeli military has acknowledged firing warning shots at people it said had approached its forces in a suspicious manner.
Egypt, Jordan and others call for a halt to the conflict
Twenty countries denounced in a joint statement the escalating tensions in the Middle East caused by what they term Israel’s aggression against Iran and called for diplomacy and dialogue to restore stability in the region.
“There’s an imperative need to halt Israeli hostilities against Iran, which come during a time of increasing tension in the Middle East, and to work towards de-escalation, to achieve a comprehensive ceasefire and restoration of calm,” read the statement.
Foreign ministers of Algeria, Bahrain, Brunei, Chad, the Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, and Mauritania rejected finding resolution through military campaigns. Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Somalia, Sudan, Turkey, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates also condemned the escalation.
They also highlighted the importance of clearing the region of nuclear and mass destruction weapons and called for refraining from targeting nuclear facilities and protecting maritime navigation in international waters.
India evacuates its citizens
India has evacuated an unspecified number of students from Tehran amid rising tension in the region, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
Some Indian nationals have also received assistance to leave Iran through the borders with Armenia, it added.
Those who can afford transport on their own have been advised to evacuate as soon as possible.
Israel says it killed high-ranking Iranian general
Israel claimed Tuesday it killed another high-ranking Iranian general after decimating its military command.
The Israeli military said it killed Gen. Ali Shadmani, who had just been named as the head of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters.
Iran did not immediately acknowledge Shadmani’s death.
Shadmani was a general in Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
Trump says return to Washington not tied to ceasefire
President Trump denied reports that he had rushed back to Washington from the G7 summit to work on a ceasefire, saying on his social media platform that "it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that.”
Trump earlier issued an ominous warning on Truth Social, saying “IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” and adding “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”
People seen leaving Tehran
As the sun rose Tuesday on Iran, the downtown area of Tehran, the country’s capital, appeared to be beginning to empty out.
Many shops in the capital stood closed. The city’s ancient Grand Bazaar was closed, something that’s rarely done, like during demonstrations or during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
On the roads out of Tehran to the west, traffic stood bumper to bumper. Many appeared to be heading to the Caspian Sea area, with local reports suggesting there were some diversions.
Long lines also could be seen at gas stations operating in Tehran.
Iran’s capital, Tehran, is home to some 10 million people. That’s roughly the same population for the entirety of Israel.
It remained unclear how the city could be evacuated.
Authorities within Iran’s government continued to insist everything was under control and did not offer any guidance for the public on what to do.
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.”