Trump warns Tehran residents to evacuate

Israel and Iran traded missile fire for a fifth straight day Tuesday, as US President Donald Trump, leaving a G7 summit early, warned Tehran residents to “immediately evacuate.”

Despite growing calls for the longtime foes to end hostilities, neither Israel nor Iran showed any signs of cutting short the missile blitz kicked off Friday, when Israel launched an unprecedented series of aerial raids targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities.

After a new wave of Israeli strikes on Iran’s capital – including a dramatic attack on a state TV building – both countries activated their missile defense systems overnight into Tuesday, with Israel’s army briefly urging residents to seek shelter from incoming Iranian missiles.

The Chinese embassy in Tel Aviv warned its citizens to leave the country immediately, as the United States said it was deploying “additional capabilities” to the Middle East, according to Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.

4 Pinoys hurt

At least four Filipino workers were reported injured in Iran’s missile attacks on Israel over the weekend. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered contingency measures to repatriate Filipinos from Israel and Iran, if needed.

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz departed Southeast Asia on Monday after canceling plans to dock in Vietnam, amid reports it was headed to the Middle East to boost the US presence there.

But a White House spokesman stressed that US forces in the Middle East remained in a defensive posture, despite the flurry of activity.

Trump has repeatedly declined to say if the United States would participate in the Israeli military action, although he said it was not involved in the initial strikes.

After calling on the two sides to make a deal, the US leader issued an extraordinary warning on his Truth Social platform.

“Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!” Trump wrote without giving details, before cutting short his attendance at the G7 Summit in Canada to head back to the White House.

‘One after the other’

After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel launched a surprise aerial campaign against Iran last week, with the stated aim of preventing Tehran from acquiring atomic weapons – an ambition Iran denies.

Iran has launched several waves of missiles in retaliation for Israel’s attacks, with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards boasting Monday evening that the attacks would continue “without interruption until dawn.”

The sudden flare-up has sparked fears of a wider conflict, with Trump urging Iran back to the negotiating table after Israel’s attacks derailed ongoing nuclear talks.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said a missile strike 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.

At least 24 people have been killed in Israel so far and hundreds wounded, according to the Prime Minister’s office.

Israel’s strikes have killed at least 224 people, including top military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians, according to Iranian authorities.