United States President, Donald Trump, on Tuesday urged Iranians to evacuate Tehran, blaming their government’s rejection of a proposed nuclear deal as hostilities between Iran and Israel entered a fifth straight day, with both nations launching new waves of attacks amid escalating tensions.
During the Group of Seven summit held in Canada, global leaders issued a collective appeal for de-escalation of what has become the most intense confrontation between the two adversaries to date.
The G7 leaders reaffirmed Israel’s right to self-defense and insisted that Iran must never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons.
French President, Emmanuel Macron, revealed that Trump, who departed the summit ahead of schedule due to the Middle East crisis, had offered a proposal to both Iran and Israel aimed at halting the violence.
“There is an offer that has been made, especially to have a ceasefire and to initiate broader discussions. And I think this is a very good thing,” Macron said. “So now we need to see what the stakeholders will do.”
Trump has remained firm in his stance against Iran’s nuclear ambitions. On Monday, he posted on his Truth Social platform, “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!”
According to Axios, the White House is exploring the possibility of diplomatic engagement this week, potentially arranging a meeting between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Reuters could not independently confirm these discussions.
Speaking on Fox News, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that Trump was still pursuing a nuclear agreement with Iran, adding that the U.S. would continue to safeguard its regional assets.
On Tuesday, Iranian news outlets reported a series of explosions and activation of air defense systems in Tehran, particularly in the city’s east.
Similar defensive operations were observed in Natanz, a crucial site for Iran’s nuclear infrastructure located around 320 kilometers away, according to the Asriran website.
The previous night, Israel claimed responsibility for a strike on Iran’s state broadcasting agency. Footage showed a visibly shaken newsreader fleeing her seat as an explosion occurred during a live broadcast. Iranian media reported two fatalities from the strike.
Meanwhile, air raid sirens sounded across Tel Aviv shortly after midnight, though no direct missile hits were confirmed.
Iranian authorities reported 224 deaths, mostly civilians, over five days of conflict. Israel reported 24 civilian casualties and noted that approximately 3,000 Israelis had been displaced due to Iranian attacks, according to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Reuters sources revealed that Iran had approached Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia to appeal to Trump to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into agreeing to an immediate ceasefire. In return, Tehran would reportedly show greater flexibility in nuclear discussions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi posted on X, “If President Trump is genuine about diplomacy and interested in stopping this war, next steps are consequential. Israel must halt its aggression, and absent a total cessation of military aggression against us, our responses will continue.”
Iran maintains that it does not seek nuclear weapons and has emphasized its right to peaceful nuclear technology, including uranium enrichment, under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
In contrast, Israel, widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, is not a signatory to the treaty and neither confirms nor denies its nuclear status.
Following Trump’s warning, oil markets responded sharply, with prices surging over 2% during early trading in Asia on Tuesday, rebounding from Monday’s losses amid talk of Iran seeking to end hostilities.
Due to growing security risks and the closure of Israeli airspace, the Chinese embassy in Israel has advised its nationals to leave the country through land border crossings immediately.
The conflict escalated significantly on Monday, with Israel targeting Iranian nuclear facilities and media infrastructure. Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told the BBC that Iran’s Natanz facility suffered major damage, likely destroying 15,000 centrifuges, while the Fordow facility remained mostly unharmed.
Planned nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, originally set to be hosted by Oman on June 15, were called off, with Iran citing ongoing military attacks as a barrier to diplomacy.
The conflict began with a surprise Israeli assault that eliminated much of Iran’s senior military leadership and top nuclear scientists.
Israel now claims control over Iranian airspace and has signaled plans to intensify its military campaign.
President Trump has reiterated that the conflict could be resolved swiftly if Iran agreed to U.S. demands on restricting its nuclear program.
