Israel, Iran trade attacks; Trump threatens Tehran residents

Israelis take shelter in a parking garage during a missile alert from Iran, in Tel Aviv, Israel, early on Tuesday [Baz Ratner-AP]

• Blasts rock Tehran and air raid sirens go off in Tel Aviv as Iran says it is preparing for what it calls the largest and most intense missile attack in history on Israeli soil, after a strike on Iranian state television.

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would not escalate hostilities, but would “end the conflict”.

‘Large explosions’ in Jerusalem, sirens blare across Israel: Reports

The Times of Israel is reporting “echoes of large explosions” in the Jerusalem area and says sirens are being sounded across the country.

The YNet News site says there’s been explosions in central Israel and reports of damage to a building in the central coastal city of Herzliya.

Europe’s von der Leyen reiterates G7 stance on crisis

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, has reiterated the G7’s stance on Israel’s conflict with Iran following the bloc’s earlier statement.

“We urge that the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of hostilities, including a ceasefire in Gaza,” von der Leyen said in a post on X.

“We remain vigilant on the implications on energy markets.”

Warning sirens sound across Israel throughout the night

Nour Odeh Reporting from Amman, Jordan

Overnight, there were alarms going off successively and throughout the night.

So Israelis were going in and out shelters pretty much all night.

There were no injuries reported, and we’re not sure where the impact of those missiles was. There were some reports of missiles falling in open areas in the Negev.

But already we are hearing about the impact of all of that – 14,000 applications for compensation have been filed to Israel’s Ministry of Finance from people whose homes have been damaged and 24 buildings are already condemned for demolition.

This, of course, comes as the oil refinery and other refineries have been shut down, especially in Haifa, due to the damage sustained from earlier Iranian missile strikes. The power plant in Haifa as well.

Israel sounds alarm over more Iranian missiles

The Israeli military says Iran has fired more missiles towards Israel and that its forces are working to intercept the projectiles.

The announcement came shortly after the military said it shot down 30 drones launched towards Israel overnight.

Three killed in Israel strike on Iran state TV

Israel’s air strikes on the headquarters of Iran’s state television in Tehran killed three people, the broadcaster says, a day after the bombing.

“Three of the TV station’s employees were killed and others were wounded in the Israeli attack” on Monday, the channel said.

Live on air, TV anchor Sahar Emami denounced “aggression against the homeland” as a blast went off and smoke and debris filled the screen. The footage then showed her fleeing the studio.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei accused Israel of committing a “wicked act” that constitutes a war crime and being the number one “killer of journalists and media people”.

Trump says his return to US ‘has nothing to do with a ceasefire’

The US president is denying reports he left the G7 summit early to work on a truce between Israel and Iran.

Attributing the claim to his French counterpart, Trump wrote: “Publicity seeking President Emmanuel Macron, of France, mistakenly said that I left the G7 Summit, in Canada, to go back to D.C. to work on a ‘ceasefire’ between Israel and Iran. 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.”

He said his return was about something “much bigger than that” and added, “Stay Tuned!”

As we’ve been reporting, the US leader earlier issued an ominous warning on his Truth Social platform, saying: “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”

Trump is Netanyahu’s only exit strategy out of war with Iran, analyst says

Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara says Netanyahu is relying on Trump to provide him with an exit strategy from an unwinnable war with Iran.

Summery:

• US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have left the G7 summit a day early, with the White House citing “developments in the Middle East”.

• French President Emmanuel Macron says the US has made an offer for a truce between Israel and Iran, while US media reports say the White House is seeking a meeting with Iran’s top diplomat to discuss a ceasefire and a nuclear deal.

• This comes as Israel and Iran continued to trade attacks, with smoke seen rising in eastern Tehran following an Israeli strike, and air raid sirens activated in the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa after two separate volleys of Iranian missiles.

• Iranian media say air defences have also been activated over the Natanz nuclear facility, which houses key nuclear installations, and is located in central Iran.

• At least two employees of Iran’s IRIB state broadcaster have been killed in Israel’s attack on its offices in Tehran, according to the official IRNA news agency.

• China and South Korea have advised their citizens to leave Israel, while the US says its diplomatic missions in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv will remain closed.

- Al Jazeeras