DUBAI: Israel struck Iran鈥檚 state-run television station Monday during a live broadcast, forcing a reporter to run off camera following an explosion, after Iran fired a new wave of missiles at Israel that killed at least eight people.

In other developments, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli strikes have set Iran鈥檚 nuclear program back a 鈥渧ery, very long time.鈥� He added that Israel is not attempting to topple the Iranian government, but said he would not be surprised if that happened as a result of the strikes.

鈥淭he regime is very weak,鈥� Netanyahu told a news conference. He added that he is in daily touch with US President Donald Trump. As he spoke, large numbers of explosions were heard in Tehran.

Israel warned hundreds of thousands of people in the middle of the Iranian capital to evacuate ahead of the strike against the TV station, which the military said provided a cover for Iranian military operations.
The warning came on the fourth day of the conflict, when the Israeli military claimed it had achieved air superiority above the Iranian capital and could fly over the city without facing major threats.

The warning affected up to 330,000 people in a part of central Tehran that includes the country鈥檚 state TV and police headquarters. The military has issued similar evacuation warnings for civilians in parts of Gaza and Lebanon ahead of strikes.

Trump to depart the G7 early as conflict between Israel and Iran shows signs of intensifying

President Donald Trump is abruptly leaving the Group of Seven summit, departing a day early Monday as the conflict between Israel and Iran intensifies and the US leader has declared that Tehran should be evacuated 鈥渋mmediately.鈥�
World leaders had gathered in Canada with the specific goal of helping to defuse a series of global pressure points, only to be disrupted by a showdown over Iran鈥檚 nuclear program that could escalate in dangerous and uncontrollable ways. Israel launched an aerial bombardment campaign against Iran four days ago.

At the summit, Trump warned that Tehran needs to curb its nuclear program before it鈥檚 鈥渢oo late.鈥� He said Iranian leaders would 鈥渓ike to talk鈥� but they had already had 60 days to reach an agreement on their nuclear ambitions and failed to do so before the Israeli aerial assault began. 鈥淭hey have to make a deal,鈥� he said.
Asked what it would take for the US to get involved in the conflict militarily, Trump said Monday morning, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to talk about that.鈥�

White House says US forces remain in 鈥榙efensive posture鈥� in Middle East

US forces in the Middle East remain in a 鈥渄efensive posture, and that has not changed,鈥� the White House said Monday as Israel and Iran traded heavy strikes for a fourth day.
鈥淲e will defend American interests,鈥� White House spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer added in a post on social media.

China tells citizens in Israel to leave 鈥榓s soon as possible鈥�

China鈥檚 embassy in Israel on Tuesday urged its citizens to leave the country 鈥渁s soon as possible,鈥� after Israel and Iran traded heavy strikes.
鈥淭he 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,鈥� the embassy said in a statement on WeChat.
鈥淚t is recommended to depart in the direction of Jordan,鈥� it added.

Airports close across the Mideast as the Israel-Iran conflict shutters the region鈥檚 airspace

Israel has closed its main international Ben Gurion Airport 鈥渦ntil further notice,鈥� leaving more than 50,000 Israeli travelers stranded abroad. The jets of the country鈥檚 three airlines have been moved to Larnaca.
In Israel, Mahala Finkleman was stuck in a Tel Aviv hotel after her Air Canada flight was canceled, trying to reassure her worried family back home while she shelters in the hotel鈥檚 underground bunker during waves of overnight Iranian attacks.
鈥淲e hear the booms. Sometimes there鈥檚 shaking,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he truth, I think it鈥檚 even scarier 鈥� to see from TV what happened above our heads while we were underneath in a bomb shelter.鈥�

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu鈥檚 office warned Israelis not to flee the country through any of the three crossings with Jordan and Egypt that are open to the Israeli public. Despite having diplomatic ties with Israel, the statement said those countries are considered a 鈥渉igh risk of threat鈥� to Israeli travelers.
Iran on Friday suspended flights to and from the country鈥檚 main Khomeini International Airport on the outskirts of Tehran. Israel said Saturday that it bombed Mehrabad Airport in an early attack, a facility in Tehran for Iran鈥檚 air force and domestic commercial flights.

Netanyahu suggests killing Iran鈥檚 supreme leader would end conflict

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday did not rule out plans to assassinate Iran鈥檚 supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying it would 鈥渆nd the conflict鈥� between the two arch-foes.

In a 20-minute interview with US network ABC News, the Israeli leader insisted his country鈥檚 deadly aggression to 鈥渄efang鈥� Iran was justified, and equated Khamenei to a 鈥渕odern Hitler.鈥�

But when asked about reports that US President Donald Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to kill the supreme leader out of concern it would escalate the Iran-Israel showdown, Netanyahu was dismissive.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not going to escalate the conflict, it鈥檚 going to end the conflict,鈥� he said.

鈥淭he 鈥榝orever war鈥� is what Iran wants, and they鈥檙e bringing us to the brink of nuclear war,鈥� Netanyahu said.

Iran state TV, radio 鈥榓bout to disappear鈥�: Israel defense minister

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday that Iran鈥檚 state television and radio were 鈥渁bout to disappear鈥� after an evacuation warning was issued for the district in Tehran where the broadcaster is based.

鈥淭he Iranian propaganda and incitement megaphone is about to disappear,鈥� he said in a statement. 鈥淓vacuation of nearby residents has begun.鈥�

鈥淚n the coming hours, the (Israeli military) will operate in the area, as it has in recent days throughout Tehran, to strike military infrastructure of the Iranian regime,鈥� the military said in a post on X in Persian.

Footage posted to social media appeared to show the strike hitting the building during a live broadcast.

READ MORE: Israel strikes Iran鈥檚 state broadcaster building

G7 has consensus on need for Middle East de-escalation, says UK鈥檚 Starmer

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday he believed there was a consensus at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada on the need for de-escalation in the Israel-Iran conflict.

鈥淚 do think there鈥檚 a consensus for de-escalation. Obviously, what we need to do today is to bring that together and to be clear about how it is to be brought about,鈥� Starmer told reporters.

UN nuclear agency warns of possible contamination inside Iran's Natanz site after Israeli strikes

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency said that there is a possibility of both radiological and chemical contamination within Iran鈥檚 main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz following Israeli strikes, although radiation levels outside the complex are presently normal.

The radiation poses a significant danger if uranium is inhaled or ingested, International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said.

The risk can be effectively managed with appropriate protective measures, such as using respiratory protection devices while inside the facilities, Grossi said.

鈥淭he level of radioactivity outside the Natanz site has remained unchanged and at normal levels, indicating no external radiological impact to the population or the environment from this event,鈥� he said.

He said that the main concern inside the Natanz facility is the chemical toxicity of a gas called uranium hexafluoride, which is the result of fluorine mixed with the uranium during enrichment. It's extremely volatile, will quickly corrode, can burn the skin and is especially deadly if inhaled, experts say.

鈥淎mid theses challenging and complex circumstances, it is crucial that the IAEA receives timely and regular technical information about the facilities and their respective sites,鈥� Grossi said.

Without information, the UN agency 鈥渃annot accurately assess the radiological conditions and potential impacts on the population and the environment and cannot provide the necessary assistance.鈥�

Grossi said that UN inspectors would remain present in Iran and inspect the nuclear facilities 鈥渁s soon as safety conditions allow.鈥�

He warned that 鈥渕ilitary escalation threatens lives, increases the chance of a radiological release with serious consequences for people and the environment and delays indispensable work towards a diplomatic solution for the long-term assurance that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon.鈥�

鈥業t鈥檚 terrifying鈥�: Israeli citizens describe the moment the Iranian missiles hit

Guydo Tetelbaun was in his apartment in Tel Aviv when the alerts came in shortly after 4 a.m. (0100 GMT).

鈥淎s usual, we went into the (shelter) that鈥檚 right across the street there. And within minutes, the door of the (shelter) blew in,鈥� the 31-year-old chef said.

鈥淎 couple of people came in bloody, all cut up. And then when we came to the apartment, after it quietened down, we saw there wasn鈥檛 much of it... Walls are caved in, no more glass,鈥� he added.

鈥淚t鈥檚 terrifying because it鈥檚 so unknown. This could be the beginning of a long time like this, or it could get worse, or hopefully better, but it鈥檚 the unknown that鈥檚 the scariest.鈥�

The pre-dawn missiles also struck near Shuk HaCarmel, a popular market in Tel Aviv that typically draws large crowds buying fresh fruit and vegetables. A residential street in nearby Petah Tikva and a school in ultra-Orthodox Jewish city Bnei Brak were also hit.

Iran鈥檚 Revolutionary Guards said the latest attack employed a new method that caused Israel鈥檚 multi-layered defense systems to target each other and allowed Tehran to successfully hit many targets, without providing further details.

The Israeli Defense Force did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strikes. There were no reports in Israel of interceptor missiles hitting each other. Israeli officials have repeatedly said its defense systems are not 100 percent and have warned of tough days ahead.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement: 鈥淭he arrogant dictator of Tehran has become a cowardly murderer who targets the civilian home front in Israel to deter the IDF from continuing the attack that is collapsing his capabilities.鈥�

鈥淭he residents of Tehran will pay the price, and soon.鈥�

Katz later issued a separate statement saying that Israel had no intention of deliberately harming Tehran鈥檚 residents.

Iranian Parliament pens plan to leave Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Iran said Monday its parliament was preparing a bill to leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), adding that Tehran remains opposed to developing weapons of mass destruction. Passing the bill could take several weeks.

Israel is presumed to have a sizable nuclear arsenal but neither confirms nor denies it. It is the only Middle East state that has not signed the NPT.

Democratic senator introduces legislation to prevent Trump from using military force against Iran without permission

A Democratic senator introduced legislation on Monday to prevent US President Donald Trump from using military force against Iran without Congress鈥檚 authorization, as an escalating battle between Israel and Iran raised fears of broader conflict.

Tim Kaine of Virginia has tried for years to wrest back Congress鈥檚 authority to declare war from the White House.

During Trump鈥檚 first term, in 2020, Kaine introduced a similar resolution to rein in Trump鈥檚 ability to wage war against Iran. That measure passed both the Senate and House of Representatives, winning some Republican support, but did not garner enough votes to survive the Republican president鈥檚 veto.

Kaine said his latest war powers resolution underscores that the US Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the sole power to declare war and requires that any hostility with Iran be explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for the use of military force.

鈥淚t is not in our national security interest to get into a war with Iran unless that war is absolutely necessary to defend the United States. I am deeply concerned that the recent escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran could quickly pull the United States into another endless conflict,鈥� Kaine said in a statement.

Russia ready to mediate on Iran, and to accept Tehran鈥檚 uranium, Kremlin says

Russia remains ready to act as a mediator in the conflict between Israel and Iran, and Moscow鈥檚 previous proposal to store Iranian uranium in Russia remains on the table, the Kremlin said on Monday.

Tehran says it has the right to peaceful nuclear power, but its swiftly-advancing uranium enrichment programme has raised fears in the wider West and across the Gulf that it wants to develop a nuclear weapon.

鈥淭his proposal remains on the table, it remains relevant. But, of course, with the outbreak of hostilities, the situation has become seriously complicated,鈥� Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

US President Donald Trump expressed optimism on Sunday that peace would come soon and cited the possibility that Russian President Vladimir Putin could help.

Putin and Erdogan condemn Israeli actions against Iran in phone call, Kremlin says

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan condemned Israel鈥檚 鈥渁ct of force鈥� against Iran and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities when they spoke by phone on Monday, the Kremlin said.

鈥淏oth sides expressed the most serious concern about the ongoing escalation of the Iran-Israel conflict, which has already led to a large number of casualties and is fraught with serious long-term consequences for the entire region,鈥� a Kremlin statement said.

鈥淭he leaders spoke in favor of an immediate cessation of hostilities and the settlement of contentious issues, including those related to the Iranian nuclear program, exclusively by political and diplomatic means.鈥�

The two sides agreed to remain in close cooperation, the statement said.

Iran tells Qatar, Oman it won't negotiate ceasefire with US while under Israeli attack

Israel and Iran launched fresh attacks on Sunday, killing and wounding civilians and raising concerns of a broader regional conflict, with both militaries urging civilians on the opposing side to take precautions against further strikes. 

Israel warned that the worse is to come. It targeted Iran's Defense Ministry headquarters in Tehran and sites it alleged were associated with Iran's nuclear program, while Iranian missiles evaded Israeli air defenses and slammed into buildings deep inside Israel.

An Iranian health ministry spokesperson, Hossein Kermanpour, said the toll since the start of Israeli strikes had risen to 224 dead and more than 1,200 injured, 90 percent of whom he said were civilians. Those killed included 60 on Saturday, half of them children, in a 14-story apartment block flattened in the Iranian capital.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he hoped a meeting of the Group of Seven leaders in Canada on Sunday would reach an agreement to help resolve the conflict and keep it from escalating.

Iran has told mediators Qatar and Oman that it is not open to negotiating a ceasefire with the US while it is under Israeli attack, an official briefed on the communications told Reuters on Sunday. The Israeli military, which launched the attacks on Friday with the stated aim of wiping out Iran鈥檚 nuclear and ballistic missile programs, warned Iranians living near weapons facilities to evacuate.