Israel-Iran conflict live: Thousands flee Tehran after fresh wave of strikes as Trump calls for ‘unconditional surrender’

Speculation is mounting about whether the US will directly engage by lending military support to Israel, or push for negotiations between the two countries.

If you are just tuning in, here is a quick summary of what you need to know.

• Israel’s defence forces said they launched a fresh wave of strikes on Tehran in the early hours of Wednesday morning, warning residents in parts of the city to urgently evacuate. “Dear citizens, for your safety and well-being, we urgently request that you immediately evacuate the designated area in Tehran’s Area 18. Your presence in this area puts your life at risk,” the IDF posted on social media.

• Residents in Tehran are fleeing the capital, with witnesses citing strong explosions hitting buildings in western and eastern parts of Tehran on Tuesday evening, the Associated Press reported. On the roads out of Tehran to the west, traffic stood bumper to bumper, and long lines also could be seen at gas stations. However, the impact and extent of any damage from the latest round of Israeli strikes remains unclear.

• In Israel, the IDF said that families across the country had sought shelter due to missile launches from Iran. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said Wednesday that hypersonic missiles were used during the latest attack on Israel. The extent to which they caused any damage also remains unclear.

• Responding to the ongoing conflict, Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei vowed on X that Iran would retaliate. “We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime. We will show the Zionists no mercy,” he said.

• Those messages were posted after Donald Trump wrote on social media that the United States knows the location of the Iranian Ayatollah Khamenei, adding that the US would not kill him “for now” but called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender”.

• In an apparent response to the president’s post, senator Bernie Sanders said the president “must not take illegal military action against Iran”. Yesterday, Democratic senator Tim Kaine also introduced a war powers resolution that would prohibit US armed forces from taking direct action against Iran without explicit authorisation from Congress or a declaration of war.

• Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said that Iran’s supreme leader could face the same fate as Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, who was toppled in a US-led invasion and was eventually hanged after a trial.

• Following a Situation Room briefing with members of his national security team, Trump is evaluating whether to lend his support to Israel by targeting Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility is located beneath a mountain that will be difficult for Israeli forces to penetrate without the assistance of the United States, which is the only country that possesses bombs that can break through the underground bunker.