Today's Edition
TEHRAN (AFP)
Iran's state broadcaster was briefly knocked off air by an Israeli strike and explosions rang out across Tehran Monday, after a barrage of Iranian missiles killed 11 people in Israel on the fourth day of an escalating air war.
Israel on Friday launched a surprise aerial campaign against targets across Iran, saying they aimed to prevent its the country from acquiring atomic weapons -- a charge Tehran denies.
The sudden flare-up in hostilities has sparked fears of a wider conflict, with British Prime Minister Kier Starmer saying from a G7 summit in Canada that he believed there was "a consensus for de-escalation" among leaders of the club of wealthy democracies.
Israel's strikes have so far killed at least 224 people, including top military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians, according to Iranian authorities.
Iran has launched several waves of missiles in retaliation, with Iran's Revolutionary Guards warning Monday of "effective, targeted and more devastating operations" to come.
In Tehran, the live feed of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) was abruptly cut when an Israeli strike hit its building on Monday.
A presenter in the midst of lambasting Israel was forced to flee mid-broadcast when a powerful explosion rocked the building, knocking out the monitors behind her and sending debris and dust falling from the ceiling, footage showed.
Israel had previously issued an evacuation warning for the part of town where IRIB is located. IRIB resumed its broadcast shortly after the strike.
Explosions could also be heard elsewhere across the capital, including in the west, where a cloud of black smoke billowed into the sky.
In Israel, Iranian attacks on Monday hit Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak, Petah Tikva and Haifa -- leaving behind shattered homes, and smouldering wreckage.
The death toll in Israel rose by 11 on Monday, the prime minister's office said, bringing the total since Friday to 24. The figure included three people killed when a missile struck an oil refinery in Haifa on Sunday, according to an Israeli official.
US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said that a nearby missile strike also lightly damaged a building used by the American embassy in Tel Aviv, while the US State Department warned citizens on Monday not to travel to Israel due to security concerns.
Britain's Starmer told reporters at the Group of Seven summit in the Canadian Rockies on Monday that he believed his fellow leaders were united in wanting de-escalation between Israel and Iran.
"The risk of the conflict escalating is obvious, I think, and the implications -- not just for the region but globally -- are really immense, so the focus has to be on de-escalation," he said.
China urged both sides to "immediately take measures to cool down the tensions" and avoid plunging the region into deeper turmoil.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meanwhile told his Iranian counterpart in a phone call that Ankara was ready to play a "facilitating role" to end the conflict.
US President Donald Trump has insisted Washington had "nothing to do" with its ally Israel's campaign, but warned any Iranian attack on American interests would trigger "the full strength" of the US military.
After indirect nuclear talks between the US and Iran were scuttled by Israel's attack, Trump on Monday urged Iran to come back to the negotiating table.
A senior US official told AFP Trump had intervened to prevent Israel from carrying out an assassination of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
