Israel has warned of imminent further “significant” strikes on Tehran. Defence Minister Yisrael Katz said the military would issue an evacuation warning for residents of Iran’s capital ahead of a new strike on June 17.
“Today we are attacking very important targets in Tehran… We will continue to launch heavy strikes against Iran,” Katz said.
The warning came after Iranian media reported explosions in the central city of Isfahan, where several of the country’s nuclear facilities are located.
Meanwhile, air-raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv, warning of possible Iranian airstrikes.
Leaving the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada to address the crisis in the Middle East at a meeting of the National Security Council, US President Donald Trump expressed frustration with Tehran over its failure to reach an agreement on its nuclear programme, which targets Israel, although Iran claims the programme is for civilian purposes only.
“I’m not seeking a truce, we’re seeking something better,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he left the Canadian province of Alberta, adding that his goal was the true end of the conflict, not a truce.
Before Trump left the summit, all seven leaders signed a joint statement emphasising “the importance of protecting civilians” as strikes kill civilians on both sides.
The G7 leaders – Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Germany, Italy and the United States – also expressed their belief that Iran “can never have nuclear weapons” and that Israel “has the right to defend itself.”
The statement expressed hope that a resolution of the Iranian crisis “will lead to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza.”
Tehran criticised the G7 statement, saying it ignored “blatant Israeli aggression” as well as Iran’s “illegal attacks on peaceful nuclear infrastructure, indiscriminate attacks on residential areas and killing of citizens”.
Meanwhile, thousands of people have been trying to leave the Iranian capital since Israeli strikes began on 13 June, causing traffic jams and fuel shortages.
Israel began airstrikes on Iranian territory on 13 June, attacking nuclear, military and energy facilities. Iran responded by launching missile and drone strikes against Israel.
Israel said it carried out these attacks to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. In the first surprise strike on 13 June, military commanders and nuclear scientists were killed. Iran’s Health Ministry has since claimed 224 deaths. Ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour said more than 90 per cent of the victims were civilians. The newsroom is unable to verify these figures from independent sources.