US President Donald Trump said the residents of Tehran should evacuate the capital city without elaborating. He also censured Iran for not signing a nuclear deal with Washington. 

“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!” said Trump on his Truth Social platform. 

 

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesperson said they have fired the ninth wave of missiles and drones toward Israel, which will continue to hit the country until dawn. 

Ali Mohammad Naeini said they will not give their arch-foe a “moment of peace,” adding that their attacks are being carried out “ with crushing and destructive power.”

Sweden has advised its citizens not to travel to Iraq as tensions between Israel and Iran further escalate. 

The Swedish ministry said it is advising against travels to Iraq for all purposes, citing “deteriorating security situation.”

It added that the notice will remain in effect until further notice. 

Relations between Iraq and Sweden deteriorated in July of 2023 when Baghdad severed diplomatic ties with Stockholm and expelled the Swedish ambassador. The move was in response to the Swedish authorities granting permission to Salwan Momika, an Iraqi diaspora member in Sweden, to burn copies of the Holy Quran.

Iraqi and Swedish officials have discussed reopening of the mission but both the embassy in Baghdad and the embassy office in Erbil remain closed.  

 

The Iranian health minister said 12 people were killed and 59 others were injured after the famous Quds Square (also known as Tajrish Square) in Tehran was hit by Israel. 

Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency cited Minister Mohammad Reza Zafarghandi as stating that one of the 12 casualties was a pregnant woman. 

The square has been targeted by Israel multiple times, though it remains unclear during which strike the 12 fatalities occurred.

The minister said on Sunday that 224 people had been killed and 1,277 injured since Friday. During his interview with Mehr news agency, he updated the number of injured to 1,800, stating that the majority of the casualties are civilians, including 35 women and 10 children.

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not rule out the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during an interview with ABC.

The assassination “is not going to escalate the conflict, it is going to end the conflict,” Netanyahu said.

American media reported earlier this week that US President Donald Trump has vetoed an Israeli plan to assassinate Khamenei. Israel has denied it.

 

Israel on Monday struck the headquarters of the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) northeast of Tehran, an hour after the Israeli Army warned civilians to evacuate the area. 

Immediately after the strike, IRIB reported that “the Islamic Republic of Iran Radio and Television was targeted by an aggressor.”

An hour earlier, the Israeli Defense Forces had urged Iranian citizens in Tehran’s District 3 to leave “immediately,” for “your safety and health.” It warned that “in the coming hours, the Israeli army will take measures in this area,” adding that “your presence in this area endangers your lives.”

Tehran's District 3 is a highly developed and important region often called the "capital of the Iranian capital.” The densely-populated district is home to numerous key institutions, including diplomatic missions, United Nations headquarters, as well as the IRIB premises.

Following the IDF’s evacuation warning, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz had issued a vague threat stating, "The Iranian propaganda and incitement mouthpiece is on its way to disappearing,” fueling skepticism that Iranian state-run media may be struck.

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed on Monday that the Israeli air force has assumed control over Tehran’s airspace.

“You are doing amazing things … the Israeli Air Force controls Tehran’s airspace. This changes the entire operation,” Netanyahu said while speaking to pilots at the Tel Nof Airbase, as reported by Israeli media. 

He added that Israel is “on the way” to achieving its goals of destroying the Iranian nuclear and missile threats. 

The Israeli military claimed on Monday that its air force has destroyed a third of Iran’s missile launchers as both sides continue to exchange deadly strikes. 

“We can now say that 1/3 of the Iranian regime’s missile launchers have been dismantled,” the Israeli Defense Forces said on X. 

It added that 20 surface-to-surface missiles, 100 military targets, missile storage sites, and surface-to-surface missile launchers were destroyed before being launched toward Israel. 

Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei called on the US to take a clear stance on the latest escalation between Iran and Israel, stressing that Washington is backing Israel. 

“Considering the truth and reality, we were in the middle of a diplomatic process and negotiations when we faced aggression from the Zionist regime,” Baghaei told reporters, referring to Israel. 

“As I stated before, this action by the Zionist regime, which we don't believe was carried out without coordination, cooperation, and support from America, has practically emptied the diplomatic process and negotiations of meaning and substance. Therefore, the responsibility lies with the opposing parties, especially America, to take a clear position in this regard,” he added. 

Iran and the United States had completed five rounds of talks on Tehran’s nuclear program, with a sixth round scheduled for Sunday. However, Iranian officials canceled their participation, calling the talks "meaningless" in light of continued Israeli attacks. 

US President Donald Trump has denied his country's involvement in the conflict despite US support in downing Iranian missiles and drones. He has expressed his hope for Iran and Israel to reach a ceasefire.

The Israeli army announced its naval forces had operated its newly deployed “Barak Magen” defense system to down eight Iranian drones on Sunday. 

“For the first time, operational use was made of the 'Barak Magen' air defense system and the long-range interceptor 'LRAD'. The interceptor, which is installed on the 'Sa'ar 6' missile ships, has the capability to deal with a wide range of threats including - unmanned aircraft, cruise missiles, ballistic threats, shore-to-sea missiles and more,” the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Monday.

“During the night, the Navy's missile ship flotilla intercepted eight unmanned aircraft launched from Iran, and since the beginning of the operation has intercepted about 25 unmanned aircraft that posed a threat to the citizens of the State of Israel,” it added. 

The army also published footage purportedly showing its naval forces downing the drones. 

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The conflict between Israel and Iran entered its fourth day on Monday as Tehran launched another wave of missile attacks on Israeli territory. Many civilians have been killed in both countries.

Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said on Monday that the last Iranian strikes killed five and injured 92 others. Israeli media have reported at least three more civilian deaths. The latest official death toll brings the total figure to around 20, with nearly 400 injured since the start of the escalation on Friday.

In Iran, authorities reported 224 people killed and 1,277 injured, though the government has not specified how many of the casualties were civilians or military personnel. Human rights groups, including the Washington-based Human Rights Activists, said the Iranian government’s figures are likely understated. The group reported more than 400 deaths, including 197 civilians.

The conflict escalated sharply after Israel launched a large-scale strike on Friday, killing several senior military commanders and key nuclear scientists. In response, Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israeli targets, escalating the conflict significantly.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Sunday confirmed the deaths of its intelligence chief Mohammad Kazemi, his deputy Hassan Mohaqiq, and another senior officer, Mohsen Bagheri. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had reported the death of Kazemi and Mohaqiq during an interview with Fox News earlier in the day.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday called for national unity amid the Israeli attacks, urging Iranians to “set aside their differences” in the face of what he described as “genocidal criminal aggression.” He also condemned the United States, accusing it of enabling Israel’s strikes.

Mike Huckabee, American Ambassador to Israel, said on X that the US mission in the country remains closed.

He added that the building of an embassy branch was damaged by an Iranian attack.

“Some minor damage from concussions of Iranian missile hits near Embassy Branch in @TelAviv but no injuries to US personnel,” he said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters on Monday that Israel’s ongoing aggression is a clear and unprecedented violation of international law.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Kats hinted on Monday that there will be more civilian casualties in Iran.

“The arrogant dictator from Tehran has become a cowardly murderer who fires targeted shots at the civilian home front in Israel to deter the IDF from continuing the attack that is collapsing its capabilities,” he said on X.

“The residents of Tehran will pay the price, and soon,” warned the minister.

Stakes high for Iraq

The stakes are high for Iraq, which hosts both US forces and powerful Iran-backed armed groups. Any retaliatory strike launched from its soil could provoke devastating responses which could undermine its sovereignty and threaten the country’s fragile stability, as it is still recovering from decades of war.

In Erbil, a loud blast was heard early Monday following the downing of a suspected drone, reportedly intercepted by aerial defenses at the new US consulate compound. A similar incident took place in the early hours of Sunday.

An Iraqi politician and member of the ruling coalition warned on Sunday that Iraq is not well-equipped to confront potential Israeli or American strikes, citing limited military capabilities and economic vulnerabilities.

"The messages are clear, Iraq cannot stay distant from this battle," Abd al-Rahman al-Jazairi, a senior Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) official, told Rudaw on Sunday, explaining that "the first and main reason is that the relationship between Iran and Iraq is a strategic relationship built on ideological grounds.

"We are talking about geographical border connections and economic ties, and this leads to Iraq not being far from the signs of war or from the battlefield, considering that it is geographically adjacent to the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he added.

The border between the two countries is roughly 1600 kilometers, with the sound of rockets and drones having been heard over the skies of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq since early Friday morning.

He said that Iraq’s current military capacity is insufficient to counter threats from either side, explaining that "if Iraq enters this battle, it will not be able to bear it, because we do not possess weapons resistant to Israeli and American aircraft, and our capabilities are limited.”

Jazairi also raised concerns about the lack of Iraqi control over its airspace and the potential for provocation.

PMF, a state-sanctioned paramilitary coalition with deep ties to Iran, although formally recognized as part of Iraq’s armed forces in 2016, many of its factions remain closely tied to Iran. Some operate independently and have carried out attacks on US and Israeli targets in the region.