US President Donald Trump abruptly cut short his G7 summit visit to Canada, just minutes after the president issued a stark warning on social media urging the immediate evacuation of Tehran – a city of nearly 9.5 million people – amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
“Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CANNOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again!” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”
He then told reporters that he needed to return to Washington “for obvious reasons … as soon as I can”, adding: “I wish I could stay back but [the G7 leaders] understand. This is big stuff.”
Earlier on Monday, Israel’s military issued an evacuation warning affecting up to 3,30,000 people in a part of central Tehran that includes the country’s state broadcaster and police headquarters. Three large hospitals, including one owned by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, are also in the area.
Iran state television lost service after an Israeli attack on the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) building in Tehran.
The blast happened as a presenter was live on television lambasting Israel, before she was seen hurrying from her seat, Iranian media reported, sharing a video of the incident in which loud explosions could be seen and heard.
As fighting between Israel and Iran entered its fifth day, Iranian hospitals were receiving a surge of wounded people, overwhelming medical facilities and exhausted personnel. Medical staff described scenes of bloody chaos and an influx of injured people that has only seemed to grow as Israeli strikes increased in intensity.
“I’ve seen toddlers, teenagers, adults and the elderly alike. Profusely bleeding mothers were rushing in with their children injured by shrapnel,” the doctor said, adding that some parents did not realise they themselves were injured until they put their children down.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed IRIB was attacked by Israel’s military. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei denounced the blast as a “wicked act” and a “war crime”.
“The UNSC must act now to stop the genocidal aggressor from committing further atrocities against our people,” Baqaei said. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps called the attack “inhuman, criminal and a terrorist act”.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the president’s sudden departure from Canada, posting on X: “Because of what’s going on in the Middle East, President Trump will be leaving tonight after dinner with heads of state”.
Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy in Israel has urged Chinese citizens to leave immediately, citing the deteriorating security situation.
“At present, the Israeli-Iranian conflict continues to escalate, with civilian facilities damaged and civilian casualties increasing, making the security situation even more severe,” the embassy warned in a Tuesday notice on WeChat. The notice advised Chinese citizens to leave via the land crossing towards Jordan as Israeli airspace remains closed.
No official information was initially provided about casualties and damage, but according to informed sources, dozens of technicians are said to have lost their lives.
Trump suggests Iran and Israel may need to ‘fight it out’ before deal. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the United States could stop Israel’s attacks with “one phone call”.
“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,” Araghchi said in a social media post.
“It takes one phone call from Washington to muzzle someone like [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu. That may pave the way for a return to diplomacy,” he added.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, said killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, would “end the conflict”. Asked if he would agree to talks should Trump want that, Netanyahu told reporters that Israel was committed to removing the threats of both nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
“If this can be achieved in another way – fine. But we gave it a 60-day chance,” Netanyahu said.
Iranian officials reported 224 deaths, mostly civilians, in five days, while Israel said 24 civilians had been killed.
