Israel ‘killed top Iranian general' as Trump warns people to flee Iran's capital
Mr Trump left the G7 summit in Canada a day early to deal with the conflict between Israel and Iran, telling reporters on Air Force One during the flight back to Washington DC: 'I'm not looking at a ceasefire. We're looking at better than a ceasefire.'
When asked to explain, he said the US wanted to see 'a real end' to the conflict that could involve Iran 'giving up entirely'.
US President Donald Trump walks from Marine One to board Air Force One at Calgary International Airport in Canada (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
He added: 'I'm not too much in the mood to negotiate.'
Later, he warned Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that the US knows where he is hiding and called for Iran's 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER'.
Mr Trump's hard line added to the uncertainty roiling the region on the fifth day of Israel's air campaign aimed at Iran's military and nuclear programme.
Residents of Tehran fled their homes in droves, and the UN nuclear watchdog for the first time said Israeli strikes on Iran's main enrichment facility at Natanz had also damaged its main underground section, not just an above-ground facility, as previously acknowledged.
Israel says its sweeping assault on Iran's military leaders, nuclear scientists, uranium enrichment sites and ballistic missile programme is necessary to prevent its adversary from getting any closer to building an atomic weapon.
The strikes have killed at least 224 people in Iran.
Iran has retaliated by launching some 400 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel. So far, 24 people have been killed in Israel.
– Israel targets more Iranian leaders
The Israeli military claimed to have killed another top Iranian general in a strike on Tehran.
Iran did not immediately comment on the reported killing of General Ali Shadmani, whom Israel described as the most senior military commander in Iran.
General Shadmani was little-known in the country before being appointed last week to a chief-of-staff-like role as head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters.
Few pedestrians walk along the historic Grand Bazaar as shops remain shuttered, in Tehran, Iran (Vahid Salemi/AP)
That appointment followed the killing of his predecessor, General Gholam Ali Rashid, in an Israeli strike.
The Israeli military warned the population to stay close to shelters as Iran fired new salvos of missiles, but officials said most were intercepted.
Sirens blared in southern Israel, including in the desert town of Dimona, the heart of Israel's never-acknowledged nuclear arms programme.
Iran has fired fewer missiles in each of its barrages, with just a handful launched late on Tuesday.
It has not explained the drop in missiles fired, but the decline comes after Israel targeted many Iranian launchers.
Meanwhile, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported Israeli airstrikes around the city of Isfahan, with air defences also firing.
A series of explosions and anti-aircraft fire boomed throughout Tehran just before 6.30pm.
– Shops closed, lines for gas in Iran's capital
Echoing an earlier Israeli military call for some 330,000 residents of a neighbourhood in downtown Tehran to evacuate, Mr Trump warned on social media that 'everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran'.
Tehran is one of the largest cities in the Middle East, with around 10 million people, roughly equivalent to the entire population of Israel.
Relatives attend the funeral of four members of the Khatib family, Palestinian citizens of Israel killed in an Iranian missile strike on Tamra, Israel (Mahmoud Illean/AP)
People have been fleeing since hostilities began.
Asked why he had urged the evacuation of Tehran, Mr Trump said: 'I just want people to be safe.'
Downtown Tehran emptied out early on Tuesday, with many shops shuttered, even the ancient Grand Bazaar, which has closed only in times of crisis, such as during the 2022 anti-government protests and the coronavirus pandemic.
On the roads out of Tehran to the west, traffic stood bumper to bumper.
Many middle- and upper-class Iranians were headed to the Caspian Sea, a popular getaway spot.
Long lines snaked from Tehran's gas stations. Across the city, billboards called for a 'severe' response to Israeli strikes.
– Signs that Iran is restricting access to outside world
Iranian authorities appeared to be curbing the public's access to the outside world.
Phone and internet service appeared disrupted, with landline phones unable to receive or dial international calls.
NetBlocks, an internet monitoring group, reported that it had detected a significant drop in internet traffic from the country.
The Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, where multiple buildings were destroyed from recent Israeli airstrikes (Maxar Technologies/AP)
Iran, which has crippled important communications tools in past nationwide protests and during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war, did not acknowledge any restrictions.
International websites appeared to be blocked, but local websites were functioning, likely signalling that Iran had turned on the so-called 'halal net', its own locally controlled version of the internet aimed at restricting what the public can see.
In another sign of restricted access, Iran's state TV on Tuesday urged the public to remove the messaging app WhatsApp from their mobile phones, alleging without evidence that the app gathered user information to send to Israel.
In a statement, WhatsApp said it was concerned that 'these false reports will be an excuse for our services to be blocked at a time when people need them the most'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
The crucial meeting Anthony Albanese just had at the G7 - despite being ghosted by Trump
Anthony Albanese has met with Donald Trump 's top economic team after being denied a face-to-face meeting with the US President when he left the G7 summit early to deal with the Iran -Israel crisis. The Prime Minister's plan to meet Trump on the last day of the G7 Leaders summit in Canada 's Alberta province was scuppered when the US Commander-in-Chief left the event early due to the escalating situation in the Middle East. It was no doubt a bitter disappointment for Albanese who would have been hoping to secure a carve out from the US administration's punishing 'Liberation Day' tariffs and to make the case for the $368 billion AUKUS submarine deal, which The Pentagon is now reviewing. However, Albanese was handed two 20-minute consolation meetings with senior US officials in Kananaskis on Tuesday local time. The PM and Australia's ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd met with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Direction of National Economic Council Kevin Hassett and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. 'I spoke with President Trump's senior economic team today at the G7 Summit about how we can strengthen our partnership,' Albanese said in a statement. 'Our free-flowing trade and investment has supported American and Australian workers, businesses, and investors - making both our countries more prosperous.' They discussed trade, tariffs, and Australia's critical minerals and rare earth minerals. But they reportedly did not discuss concerns about the AUKUS deal with the US and UK, which Trump has placed under a 30-day review. However, Albanese did discuss the submarine deal with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with both leaders vowing to take their commitment to the security pact to 'another level'. 'We've both taken it on ourselves to take it to another level when it comes to defence and security, to our work on AUKUS, but also on issues like energy and the global issues that matter,' Starmer said, according to The Australian. 'We think alike, we work alike and we have a shared agendas to work together.' There is some hope the US won't try to mothball the deal after Trump and Starmer backed the agreement following their own bilateral meeting earlier in the week. Many others in attendance at the summit had also lined up chats with Mr Trump. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum was also hoping to have her first in-person talk with Mr Trump, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had scheduled discussions with the US president on Tuesday. But even without the biggest star of the summit, the diplomatic show had to go on. The hole left by the expected US tariffs discussions in Kananaskis was filled by a push to resurrect a long-stalled free trade agreement with the European Union. During talks with the German Chancellor, Albanese said he was 'very keen on getting it done quickly' and Friedrich Merz immediately offered to help. 'Is there anything I can do to speed it up a little bit?' he said ahead of their meeting. Albanese is also scheduled to talk with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa. The EU was Australia's third-largest trading partner in 2022/23, with two-way trade valued at $106 billion. Negotiations over the proposed free trade agreement first began in 2018 but have been held up by several points of contention. The trading bloc was concerned by Australian producers using terms like prosecco or feta for products that did not originate from specific regions in Europe. Meanwhile, Australia has urged the EU to drop or reduce its tariffs on all agriculture exports. Earlier in 2025, global uncertainty driven by Trump and his tariffs had revived conversations, and the US president appears to have helped spark discussions once more. The prime minister's talks with other world leaders have also resumed, with Albanese also holding conversations with Japanese President Shigeru Ishiba. He has already met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Secretary General Mark Rutte.
ITV News
an hour ago
- ITV News
Coalition of the willing to reconvene ‘in weeks' as UK pushes Russian oil cap
Sir Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelensky will convene a meeting of the so-called 'coalition of the willing' in the coming weeks, Downing Street said as the UK pushed for allies to tighten the oil price cap on Russia. The Prime Minister on Tuesday announced a series of measures aimed at ramping up pressure on Vladimir Putin as he continues to resist calls for an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, Sir Keir said he 'strongly' believes that restrictions on the price of Russian crude oil should be strengthened to deplete its energy revenues. He also dismissed suggestions that plans, led by Britain and France, for a 'coalition of the willing' to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine were dead in the water as progress towards a potential truce stalls. In a bilateral meeting with the Ukrainian president on the sidelines of the leaders' conference on Tuesday, the two leaders 'agreed to drive forward the next stage of military support', Number 10 said. 'Their meeting followed an extensive session with wider partners, focused on maintaining momentum to secure a just and lasting peace for Ukraine,' the readout said. 'The Prime Minister and president agreed to drive forward the next stage of military support – adding that a strong Ukraine is essential to guarantee peace in the long term. 'They agreed to convene the next coalition of the willing meeting in the coming weeks. 'They also discussed ramping up the economic pressure on Putin, with the Prime Minister updating the president on the new sanctions announced by the United Kingdom today. 'They agreed there should be no place to hide for those who fund Putin's war machine.' Mr Zelensky said they had agreed that 'to force Russia to end this war, coordinated sanctions by all G7 countries are needed against their energy and banking sectors, shadow fleet, and military-industrial complex'. Britain announced sanctions on 20 Russian oil tankers as well as measures to tighten the net around companies managing the vessels, with Downing Street saying the UK would also seek to 'move with partners' to tighten the energy price cap. A wider package of measures which Sir Keir suggested would be forthcoming from leaders gathered at the summit in the Canadian Rockies is yet to materialise after splits opened up in the approach to Russia on Monday. Allies face an uphill struggle to lower the cap from the existing rate of 60 dollars per barrel after Donald Trump signalled his reluctance to impose further measures on Moscow. The US president suggested he wanted to wait to 'see whether or not a deal is done' with Ukraine before targeting the Kremlin with further action. Speaking to reporters with him in Kananaskis, Sir Keir was asked if tightening the oil price cap would be possible without the backing of Washington. 'Obviously today we're going to focus on Ukraine,' Sir Keir said. 'We've got President (Volodymyr) Zelensky coming in. We're putting in extra sanctions today, including sanctions on the shadow fleet. 'Others will be doing, similar actions in coming days. And so that does ramp up the pressure. 'On the oil price, obviously, we're still looking at how we're going to make that work. But I strongly believe that we have to put those sanctions in place. We're having those discussions with President Zelensky today.' Talks to broker a possible peace in Ukraine have stalled as Moscow continues to pound the country with missile and drone attacks and holds out on US-backed proposals for an unconditional truce. Meanwhile, the UK and France have been leading efforts to assemble a so-called 'coalition of the willing' made up of nations prepared to send peacekeeping troops to Kyiv to enforce a potential ceasefire. Asked whether those plans were dead in the water, Sir Keir told reporters: 'On the coalition of the willing, no, not at all. That is obviously intended to answer the question, how do you ensure that if a deal is reached, a deal is kept so it's a lasting deal? 'Because the concern, has always been, that there have been deals, if you like, before, Putin has then subsequently breached them. 'So how do you stop that happening again? And the military planning is still going on, as you would expect, so that, when the time comes, we're ready to act.' At the top of meeting with Sir Keir on the fringes of the summit, Australian Prime Minister Antony Albanese said Canberra was 'willing to consider' joining the coalition 'if we can get some advance in peace'. The leader first said he would be open to such a move in March. Mr Zelensky is attending the G7 conference in Kananaskis, along with leaders from Canada, the US, France, Italy, Japan, Germany and Britain. As well as sanctions on Russia's shadow fleet, Britain has also targeted two UK residents – Vladimir Pristoupa and Olech Tkacz – who the Government said had operated 'a shadowy network of shell companies' aiding Moscow. The branch of the Russian defence ministry leading the country's underwater intelligence gathering operations, known as Gugi, has also been sanctioned. Sir Keir said: 'These sanctions strike right at the heart of Putin's war machine, choking off his ability to continue his barbaric war in Ukraine. 'We know that our sanctions are hitting hard, so while Putin shows total disregard for peace, we will not hesitate to keep tightening the screws. 'The threat posed by Russia cannot be underestimated, so I'm determined to take every step necessary to protect our national security and keep our country safe and secure.'
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Texas stops providing new funding for border wall construction
Texas has stopped putting new money toward building a U.S.-Mexico border wall, shifting course after installing only a fraction of the hundreds of miles of potential barrier that Republican Gov. Greg Abbott set out to construct four years ago. State lawmakers this month approved a new Texas budget that does not include continued funding for the wall, which had been a multibillion-dollar priority for Abbott as part of a sprawling immigration crackdown. He even took the unusual step of soliciting private donations for construction, saying in 2021 that many Americans wanted to help. On Tuesday, Abbott's office said President Donald Trump 's aggressive efforts to curb immigration allowed the state to adjust. The halt in funding was first reported by The Texas Tribune. 'Thanks to President Trump's bold leadership, the federal government is finally fulfilling its obligation to secure the southern border and deport criminal illegal immigrants," Abbott spokesman Andrew Mahaleris said. 'Because of these renewed federal assets in Texas, our state can now adjust aspects of state-funded border security efforts.' The state has completed 65 miles (104 kilometers) of border wall since construction began. The Texas border with Mexico is roughly 1,200 miles (1,931 kilometers). The wall has gone up at a slow pace as the state has navigated the drawn-out process of buying private land and confronting local opposition in some places. Abbott announced plans for the wall at a time when large numbers of migrants were showing up at the border, saying in 2021 that he believed a combination of state-owned land and volunteered private property would "yield hundreds of miles to build a border wall.' The number of migrant crossings has fallen dramatically this year. 'There was no need for it in the first place,' said Scott Nicol, a board member for Friends of the Wildlife Corridor, a habitat preservation group in the Rio Grande Valley. He has criticized the wall as ineffective. "The only thing that's changed is the political dynamic,' he said. The new budget approved by Texas lawmakers allocates about $3.4 billion for border security for two years. That amount will not be used to build out new projects for the wall and instead go to the Texas Department of Safety and the Texas National Guard, the main agencies responsible for Operation Lone Star, Abbott's key immigration program launched in 2021 during the Biden administration. The money allocated for border security is nearly half the $6.5 billion that was dedicated to immigration efforts the last time lawmakers earmarked the state budget two years ago. Funds previously allocated for the wall will allow work on it to continue through 2026 and 'will set the federal government up for success,' said Republican Sen. Joan Huffman, the lead budget writer in the state Senate. The agency responsible for constructing the wall has about $2.5 billion remaining in funding to cover up to 85 additional miles (85 additional kilometers) of the wall by 2026, according to a statement made in April by Texas Facilities Commission executive director Mike Novak, whose agency is overseeing construction of the project. 'This wall should have never been built, it's useless,' said Bekah Hinojosa, co-founder of the South Texas Environmental Justice Network. "It divides our community.' ___
