Khamenei advisor killed: Reports
A senior advisor to Iran's supreme leader has succumbed to wounds sustained in an Israeli strike targeting his house, Iran international is reporting.
New York Times journalist Farnaz Fassihi reported that Iranian officials view his assassination as Israel's attempt to jeopardize nuclear diplomacy with the US.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
35 minutes ago
- Gulf Today
President, UK PM discuss regional developments
UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a telephone conversation on Sunday with Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, during which they discussed strategic relations between the two countries and reviewed recent developments in the Middle East and their impact on regional security and stability. Both sides emphasised the importance of intensifying efforts to de-escalate tensions and promote dialogue and diplomacy to resolve crises and maintain peace and stability in the region. Separately, Sheikh Mohamed and Nikos Christodoulides, President of the Republic of Cyprus, spoke by telephone on Sunday to explore ways to strengthen bilateral ties for the benefit of both nations. The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and international developments of mutual concern, with a particular focus on the situation in the Middle East following the Israeli military operations against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the implications for regional security and stability. They emphasised the importance of intensifying diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions, prevent the conflict from expanding, and resolve disputes through dialogue and peaceful means to preserve the region's security, stability, and peace. WAM
Arabian Post
4 hours ago
- Arabian Post
Tehran's Civilian Exodus Accelerates Amid Escalating Airstrikes
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Tehran has entered a state of widespread panic as thousands of residents flee the capital following the latest wave of Israeli airstrikes targeting military, nuclear, energy, and regime-linked sites. Cities in northern provinces such as Mazandaran, Gilan and Alborz have reported being inundated with evacuees, many travelling along the Tehran–North and Tehran–Qom highways, with gridlock stretching for miles. Fuel stations in Tehran and Karaj are overwhelmed, and shoppers report shortages of essentials amid surge demand. The Iranian capital's internet has been intermittently throttled amid efforts to suppress distress and control the narrative. ADVERTISEMENT The operation, identified by Israeli leaders as 'Operation Rising Lion,' commenced on 13 June when hundreds of precision strikes struck facilities tied to Iran's nuclear aspirations, ballistic missile production, IRGC leadership and critical infrastructure in and around Tehran. High-value targets were obliterated, including the South Pars gas field, military command centres, and the Defence Ministry, underlining Israel's expanded scope beyond nuclear installations. Toll estimates vary: Iranian sources cite more than 224 civilian deaths, including over a dozen IRGC commanders and key nuclear scientists, with more than 900 injured. Israeli authorities report 10 to 14 fatalities in Israel from Iranian missile counterattacks. Silence from Tehran's official channels contrasts with visible damage and civilian trauma—homes laid waste, shattered windows, and heavy reliance on basements, subway stations and schools repurposed as makeshift shelters. Despite a state warning against mass exodus, authorities suggested citizens near refineries evacuate and advised use of metro systems for shelter. But many view this response as inadequate; Tehran lacks a network of formal bomb shelters, and a culture that venerates martyrdom over civilian safety has limited protective infrastructure. Residents describe scenes of desperation: families abandoning homes, children crying, and queues forming at petrol stations and ATMs amid collapsing communications. One finance analyst shared that 'windows began to shake' and smoke seeped into her home during a Sunday strike, prompting her to leave the city with neighbours. Another Tehran student spoke of long petrol lines at stations and panicking crowds hunting for food. Domestic anxiety is compounded by structural vulnerabilities. The Iranian economy, enduring its deepest crisis in decades, faces inflation rates above 40%, mass unemployment and widespread food insecurity. This backdrop of poverty and instability was outlined by Iranian government statistics and global economic monitoring groups. The middle class, already suffering from double-digit inflation and unemployment, is struggling to cope with this surge in insecurity. In this context, analysts caution that the airstrikes may fit a wider strategy. With senior members of the IRGC and nuclear scientists killed, Israeli officials are believed to be signalling a shift towards undermining regime stability and infrastructure to accelerate political change. Prime Minister Netanyahu has urged Iranians to rise against the clerical leadership, though experts warn that such encouragement could backfire, consolidating hardliner control and prompting Tehran to accelerate its nuclear timeline. International observers are also raising alarms about spill‑on effects. Crude oil prices have jumped over 10%, a sign of global markets jittering at the potential for further escalation. Meanwhile, the World Bank warns that heightened war intensity may undermine adjacent states involved in sensitive hydrocarbon trade and production. Within Iran, elites are now confronting increasingly vocal criticism. Social media posts mocking authorities for failing to build basic shelters are circulating despite internet restrictions. While some citizens express threats of retaliation, others develop resignation: 'You worry what's going to come next,' one resident remarked, reflecting the capital's unease. Interviews with experts indicate a nation on the cusp of transformation. Iran's leadership, confronted by a collapsing economy, degrading military deterrent, and a civilian population on the move, faces growing internal rupture. However, dissent remains fragmented and tightly controlled by the IRGC and security services.
Dubai Eye
4 hours ago
- Dubai Eye
Israel-Iran battle escalates, civilians urged to evacuate target areas
Israel and Iran continued exchanging attacks that killed and wounded civilians, with both militaries urging civilians on the opposing side to take precautions against further strikes. The Iranian death toll in four days of Israeli strikes had reached at least 224, with 90 per cent of the casualties reported to be civilians, an Iranian health ministry spokesperson said. Early on Monday, the Israeli military said it had detected more missiles launched from Iran towards Israel. "At this time, the (Israeli Air Force) is operating to intercept and strike where necessary to eliminate the threat," the Israeli Defence Forces said. Live video footage showed several missiles over Tel Aviv and Reuters witnesses said explosions could be heard there and over Jerusalem. At least 10 people in Israel, including children, have been killed so far, according to authorities there. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said his goals for the G7 summit include for Iran to not develop or possess nuclear weapons, ensuring Israel's right to defend itself, avoiding escalation of the conflict and creating room for diplomacy. "This issue will be very high on the agenda of the G7 summit," Merz told reporters. Before leaving for the summit on Sunday, US President Donald Trump was asked what he was doing to de-escalate the situation. "I hope there's going to be a deal. I think it's time for a deal," he told reporters. "Sometimes they have to fight it out." Iran has told mediators Qatar and Oman that it is not open to negotiating a ceasefire while it is under Israeli attack, an official briefed on the communications told Reuters on Sunday. First daylight attack on Israel Explosions shook Tel Aviv on Sunday during Iran's first daylight missile attack since Israel's strike on Friday. Shortly after nightfall, Iranian missiles hit a residential street in Haifa, a mixed Jewish-Arab city, and in Israel's south. In Bat Yam, a city near Tel Aviv, residents braced on Sunday evening for another sleepless night after an overnight strike on an apartment tower. Images from Tehran showed the night sky lit up by a huge blaze at a fuel depot after Israel began strikes against Iran's oil and gas sector - raising the stakes for the global economy and the functioning of the Iranian state. Trump vetoes plan to target Khamenei, officials say In Washington, two US officials told Reuters that Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan in recent days to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. When asked about the Reuters report, Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News on Sunday, "There's so many false reports of conversations that never happened, and I'm not going to get into that." "We do what we need to do," he told Fox's Special Report With Bret Baier. Israel began the assault with a surprise attack on Friday that wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command and damaged its nuclear sites, and says the campaign will escalate in the coming days. The intelligence chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Mohammad Kazemi, and his deputy were killed in attacks on Tehran on Sunday, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said. Iran has vowed to retaliate. Trump warns Iran not to attack Trump has lauded Israel's offensive while denying Iranian allegations that the US has taken part and warning Tehran not to widen its retaliation to include US targets. Two US officials said on Friday the US military had helped shoot down Iranian missiles that were headed toward Israel. The US president has repeatedly said Iran could end the war by agreeing to tough restrictions on its nuclear programme, which Iran says is for peaceful purposes but which Western countries and the IAEA nuclear watchdog say could be used to make an atomic bomb. The latest round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the US, due on Sunday, was scrapped after Tehran said it would not negotiate while under Israeli attack.
