Iran, Israel conflict enters fifth day
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Israel and Iran continued to trade strikes for a fifth straight day on Tuesday, with US President Donald Trump urging Iranians to evacuate Tehran after slamming the Islamic republic for failing to reach a nuclear deal with Washington.
Trump on Tuesday cut his trip short to the G7 summit in Canada due to tensions in the Middle East, telling reporters that 'I have to be back.' The announcement came after he called on Iranians to evacuate Tehran, describing its failure to strike a deal as 'a shame, and waste of human life.'
Tensions between Israel and Iran boiled over on Friday after Israel carried out extensive airstrikes in Iran, killing senior military commanders and nuclear scientists. In response, Iran launched missile salvos and deployed scores of drones against Israel.
According to Israeli authorities, so far, at least 24 civilians have been killed and 592 injured. In Iran, authorities reported 224 people killed and 1,277 injured.
On Monday, G7 leaders issued a joint statement calling for 'the resolution of the Iranian crisis' to begin 'a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza.'
The statement, released by Canada, said that Israel 'has a right to defend itself.'
'We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,' it stressed.
Israel has launched around 380 ballistic missiles since the beginning of the conflict, according to Channel 12.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Monday called on the US to take a clear stance on the latest escalation between Iran and Israel, stressing that Washington is backing Israel.
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