Donald Trump has called for the ‘immediate evacuation of Tehran’ and branded Iran ‘foolish’ for not signing a deal with the US on its nuclear program before Israeli strikes began.
Trump said in a post on Truth Social: ‘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.’
The warning comes as the war between the arch foes enters its fifth day and Israel ramps up attacks aimed at destroying Iran’s contested nuclear work.
The Israeli military earlier issued a notice urging residents of one district of Tehran to evacuate, an echo of its tactics in Gaza where it has displaced most of the Palestinian population since the October 7, 2023 attacks.
Trump has repeatedly declined to say if the United States would participate in Israeli military action, although he says it was not involved in initial strikes.
The US President has said he now believes Iran wants to make an agreement following its calls for a ceasefire.
‘As I’ve been saying, I think a deal will be signed, or something will happen, but a deal will be signed, and I think Iran is foolish not to sign,’ Trump told reporters on the sidelines of the G7 summit.
It comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday refused to rule out assassinating Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying it would ‘end the conflict’ between the two countries.
In an extraordinary 20-minute interview, the Israeli leader insisted his country’s deadly aggression to ‘defang’ Iran was justified, and equated Khamenei to a ‘modern Hitler.’
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.
‘It’s not going to escalate the conflict, it’s going to end the conflict,’ he told US network ABC News.
‘The ‘forever war’ is what Iran wants, and they’re bringing us to the brink of nuclear war,’ Netanyahu said. In fact, what Israel is doing is preventing this, bringing an end to this aggression, and we can only do so by standing up to the forces of evil.’
When asked if Israel was directly targeting Ayatollah, the Israeli PM said: ‘We’re doing what we need to do.’
If you’re just joining us, the conflict between Israel and Iran shows no signs of abating after Iranian missiles rained down on Israeli cities in a heavy overnight onslaught four days after strikes were launched on Tehran.
Here are the main updates you need to know:
- US President Donald Trump will leave the G7 summit in Canada early ‘so he can attend to many important matters,’ White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has said.
- Donald Trump has requested for the National Security Council to convene in the situation room, Fox News reports.
- US President Donald Trump posted on social media that ‘everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran’ and branded Iran ‘foolish’ for not signing a deal with the US on its nuclear program before Israeli strikes began.
- The Israeli military earlier issued a notice urging residents of one district of Tehran to evacuate.
- Iran issued an evacuation warning for Israeli news channels after an air strike on Tehran’s state broadcaster on Monday afternoon, suggesting it was planning to retaliate with a similar attack.
- Iran issued an evacuation warning for Israeli news channels after an air strike on Tehran’s state broadcaster on Monday afternoon, suggesting it was planning to retaliate with a similar attack.
- Iran’s state broadcaster has been bombed live on air in an attack by Israel aimed at wiping out what it described as a ‘propaganda megaphone’
- The attack happened as Israel urged all civilians in an area of northern Tehran to evacuate as it carries out further attacks on military infrastructure
- Israel’s defence minister warned television and radio are ‘about to disappear’ shortly before the blast
- Iran’s Revolutionary Guards responded by urging all residents of Tel Aviv to evacuate as soon as possible
- It comes as Iran’s leadership is reportedly showing the first signs of backing down after apparently signalling it is open to negotiations to end the hostilities with the US and Israel
- Further reports claim Tehran has asked Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman to press Donald Trump to use his influence on Israel to agree to an immediate ceasefire
- Earlier on Monday, Israeli authorities said 24 people have been killed as a result of Iranian missiles including 11 since midnight after attacks in the cities of Tel Aviv, Haifa, Bnei Brak and Petah Tikva. Iran says Israeli strikes have killed 224 people
- US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee revealed the US Embassy suffered ‘minor damage’ amid the barrage of missiles which rained down on Israel Monday morning
- The Israeli Air Force has claimed it has established full control of the skies above Tehran and has destroyed a third of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has vowed ‘we will hold our ground’ as he urged people in the country to unite against Israel
- Videos circulating online appear to show some Iranians in Tehran and Karaj chanting slogans against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Republic
- Iran is preparing to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), an international pact aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons
- US aircraft carrier USS Nimitz is heading west towards the Middle East after leaving the South China Sea this morning
