Iran launched missiles at Israeli cities Monday after Israeli strikes deep inside the Islamic republic, raising Israel鈥檚 death toll by 11 on day four of an escalating air war.
Meanwhile, the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz was leaving Southeast Asia on Monday after cancelling plans to dock in Vietnam, amid reports it is headed to the Middle East to boost the US presence as Israel and Iran do battle.
At 13:45 GMT, the carrier was traveling through the聽Malacca Strait toward the Indian Ocean, according to Marine Traffic, a ship-tracking site.
A Vietnamese government official confirmed to AFP that a planned reception aboard the USS Nimitz on June 20, as part of the ship鈥檚 expected June 19-23 visit to Danang, had been cancelled.
After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel on Friday launched a surprise aerial campaign targeting sites across Iran, saying the attacks aimed to prevent its arch-foe from acquiring atomic weapons 鈥� a charge Tehran denies.
Israel鈥檚 strikes have so far killed at least 224 people,聽聽 including top military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians, according to Iranian authorities.
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said that Iran鈥檚 state television and radio were 鈥榓bout to disappear鈥�, after an evacuation warning was issued for the district in Tehran where the broadcaster is based.
鈥楾he Iranian propaganda and incitement megaphone is about to disappear,鈥� he said in a statement. 鈥楨vacuation of nearby residents has begun.鈥�
In retaliation, Iran鈥檚 Revolutionary Guards said it had 鈥榮uccessfully鈥� struck Israel with a salvo of missiles and warned of 鈥榚ffective, targeted and more devastating operations鈥� to come.
The Iranian attacks hit Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak, Petah Tikva and Haifa 鈥� with shattered homes, smouldering wreckage and stunned residents picking through debris.
鈥楾he entire shelter shook,鈥� said Shlomi Biton, who had taken cover with his five children in Haifa. 鈥楾here were many, many explosions.鈥�
Ido, a student whose house was hit, recalled scenes of panic. 鈥楾here were 12 to 13 children there in the shelter screaming.鈥�
The death toll in Israel rose by 11 on Monday, the prime minister鈥檚 office said, bringing the total since Friday to 24.
US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said the missile barrage also lightly damaged a building used by the American embassy in Tel Aviv.
In Iran, foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei condemned as a 鈥榳ar crime鈥� an Israeli strike that damaged a hospital in the western city of Kermanshah. A previous report said a nearby workshop had been the target.
Iran鈥檚 missile attack followed waves of intense Israeli air raids that struck targets across the country 鈥� from the western border with Iraq to Tehran and as far east as Mashhad, where the airport was hit.
While some people fled Tehran, others vowed
to stay.
鈥業t is natural that war has its own stress, but I will not leave my city,鈥� said Shokouh Razzazi, 31, in the capital, where the Grand Bazaar was closed amid the on-going Israeli strikes.
The escalation has sparked growing international concern.
China urged both sides to 鈥榠mmediately take measures to cool down the tensions鈥� and avoid plunging the region into deeper turmoil.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen also called for calm, telling Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that 鈥榓 negotiated solution is, in the long term, the best solution鈥�.
Though critical of Israel鈥檚 campaign in Gaza, she blamed Iran for the latest crisis, citing the UN nuclear watchdog鈥檚 findings that it was not in compliance with its obligations.
鈥業n this context, Israel has the right to defend itself. Iran is the principal source of regional instability,鈥� she said.
Iran, in turn, urged the International Atomic Energy Agency to condemn Israeli strikes on its nuclear facilities.
鈥榃e expect the IAEA Board of Governors and the director general to take a firm position in condemning this act and holding the regime (Israel) accountable,鈥� said spokesman Baqaei.
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan meanwhile told his Iranian counterpart in a phone call that Ankara is ready to play a 鈥榝acilitating role鈥� to end the conflict.
The Israeli military said Monday it had destroyed 120 missile launchers 鈥� one third of Iran鈥檚 total.
In a televised address, Iranian armed forces spokesman Colonel Reza Sayyad vowed a 鈥榙evastating response鈥� to Israeli attacks.
鈥楲eave the occupied territories (Israel) because they will certainly no longer be habitable in the future,鈥� he said, adding shelters would 鈥榥ot guarantee security鈥�.
Addressing Iran鈥檚 parliament, president Masoud Pezeshkian urged citizens to 鈥榮tand strong against this genocidal criminal aggression with unity and coherence鈥�.
US president Donald Trump insisted Washington had 鈥榥othing to do鈥� with Israel鈥檚 military campaign but warned any Iranian attack on American interests would trigger 鈥榯he full strength and might鈥� of the US military.
On Sunday, Trump urged both sides to 鈥榤ake a deal鈥� while expressing doubts about near-term peace prospects.
鈥楽ometimes they have to fight it out, but we鈥檙e going to see what happens,鈥� he said.
A senior US official said Trump had intervened to prevent Israel from carrying out an assassination of Iran鈥檚 supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
鈥榃e found out that the Israelis had plans to hit Iran鈥檚 supreme leader. President Trump was against it and we told the Israelis not to,鈥� said the official.
Asked by Fox News whether regime change in Iran was one of Israel鈥檚 objectives, Netanyahu said: 鈥業t certainly could be the result, because the Iran regime is very weak.鈥�
As hostilities intensified, Iran said it was scrapping planned nuclear talks with the United States, calling dialogue 鈥榤eaningless鈥� under bombardment.