TEL AVIV, Israel —Israel ordered more than 330,000 people to evacuate central Tehran on Monday after launching fresh airstrikes on military and media targets in Iran’s capital. The strikes follow days of escalating conflict that has already left hundreds dead across both countries.
Within an hour of the evacuation warning, explosions shook the city. A live Iranian state television broadcast was interrupted when a bomb struck the studio. The anchor rushed off air as the blast tore through the building. Iran’s state media later confirmed four bombs hit the compound, injuring employees and disrupting operations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed responsibility for the attack and declared it a strategic victory. “We’ve set Iran’s nuclear program back a very, very long time,” Netanyahu told reporters on Monday. “The regime is very weak.”
The Israeli military reported it had destroyed over 120 surface-to-surface missile launchers, two F-14 fighter jets, and 10 command centers in Tehran connected to the elite Quds Force. Brigadier General Effie Defrin said Israeli jets had “achieved full aerial superiority over Tehran’s skies.”
Israel’s military stated the strike targeted facilities involved in Iran’s nuclear efforts, including uranium enrichment sites and infrastructure used by top scientists. Since Friday, Israeli airstrikes have reportedly killed at least 224 people in Iran. Independent monitors, however, estimate that the real death toll exceeds 400, with nearly 200 civilians among the dead.
Iran’s government insists its nuclear program is peaceful and denies seeking nuclear weapons. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency recently confirmed that Tehran holds enough enriched uranium to produce multiple nuclear warheads if it decides to do so.
In retaliation, Iran has launched over 370 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israeli cities. The attacks have killed 24 and injured more than 500 in Israel. On Monday, Iranian missiles hit Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva, and the Haifa oil refinery. One missile exploded near the U.S. consulate in Tel Aviv, though no injuries were reported.
Three refinery workers were killed in Haifa when a blast caused a stairwell to collapse, trapping them inside. Firefighters were unable to reach them in time.
Across Tehran, panic spread as residents fled from the evacuation zones. The areas targeted include the state-run broadcaster’s headquarters, key police facilities, and hospitalsamong them a medical center run by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump posted a blunt warning on social media site on Monday calling for the immediate evacuation of Tehran.
“IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” Trump wrote, adding that “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”
