Israel said it hit more Iranian government targets Monday in Tehran, including the notorious Evin Prison, as other strikes targeted Irans underground enrichment site at Fordo for a second time. Israel warned of other strikes in the coming days.
Iran, meanwhile, fired more missiles and drones at Israel and warned the United States that its military now has afree hand to attack American targetsafter theTrump administrations massive strikes on three Iranian nuclear siteson Sunday. Tens of thousands of American troops are based in the Middle East.
Fears of a wider regional conflict loom large after the United States inserted itself intoIsraels war, raising urgent questions about what remains of Tehrans nuclear program and how its weakened military might respond. Theprice of oil roseas financial markets reacted.
President Donald Trump, who has warned of additional strikes if Tehran retaliates against U.S. forces, mused Sunday about thepossibility of regime change in Iran, though administration officials earlier in the day indicated they wanted to restart talks with the country even directly.
Here is the latest:
Toppled Iranian shahs son offers to take power
The son of Irans last shah has offered to take over the Iranian leadership and lead the countrys transition to democracy.
Reza Pahlavi told a news conference in Paris that the regime is defeated, teetering, on the edge of collapse. He claimed he doesnt seek political power but wants to help our great nation navigate through this critical hour towards stability, freedom and justice.
Pahlavi left Iran at age 17 soon before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Many Iranians have bitter memories of repression under his fathers reign as shah. Others might reject Pahlavi over his outreach to Israel.
Several large Iranian opposition groups are based abroad but they are not united, and its unclear how much support any of them has inside the country.
Israel warns Iranians of attacks over the coming days
Israel’s military is warning Iranians it will continue to attack military sites around Tehran over the coming days. The military issued the warning on social media, though Iranians are struggling to access the outside world because of an internet shutdown in the country.
The warning says we ask you to stay away from weapons production centers, military bases and security institutions affiliated with the regime.
Iran has criticized the warnings as a way to scare its public. However, the Israelis have carried out strikes after their warnings multiple times in the war.
South Africa says UN should lead diplomatic efforts
South Africa calls on the United States, Israel and Iran to allow the United Nations to lead diplomatic efforts to find a resolution.
It also calls on them to allow an inspection and verification of Irans uranium enrichment and its nuclear capacity.
South Africa has strong diplomatic ties with Iran, which the Trump administration has criticized.
Hezbollah indicates it wont join the war between Israel and Iran
The leader of Lebanons Hezbollah indicates that the group will not join the war between Iran and Israel for now. Naim Kassem spoke in his first public comments since the U.S. inserted itself into the war on Sunday. He says his group is ready to back any decision taken by the Lebanese state to force Israel to stop the war.
He also tells the Iran-backed groups Al-Ahad newspaper in a report published Monday that the attacks on Iran will have a high cost as the whole region is in danger, and says U.S. President Donald Trumps threats to kill Irans Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei are a vile act and a sign of weakness.
Trump just raising a question about regime change
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says U.S. operations in the Middle East havent changed despite Trump raising the possibility of what he called “regime change” in Iran on Sunday.
The president was just simply raising a question that I think many people around the world are asking, Leavitt told reporters on Monday.
She added, if they refuse to engage in diplomacy moving forward, why shouldnt the Iranian people rise up against this brutal terrorist regime?
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