Explosions were heard across Tehran on Monday evening, shortly after former U.S. President Donald Trump called for the immediate evacuation of Iran’s capital, warning of escalating military danger in the region.
Trump, who was attending the G7 summit, announced he was cutting short his visit due to the intensifying Middle East conflict and has since asked the U.S. National Security Council to convene. However, U.S. officials maintain that Washington will not join Israel’s ongoing military offensive against Iran.
In Tehran, panic is mounting as roads are reportedly blocked and confusion spreads. “How can 10 million people evacuate?” one distraught resident told reporters, describing scenes of exhaustion and desperation in the capital.
Israeli sirens have gone off multiple times over the past few hours, although there have been no significant reports of damage. Earlier in the day, Israel confirmed that its forces targeted Iranian state media facilities in central Tehran — an assault that played out on live television.
Meanwhile, Iran’s health ministry says at least 224 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the conflict escalated on Friday.
