The Latest: Israel strikes Iranian government targets and warns of more in days ahead

President Donald Trump has warned of additional strikes if Tehran retaliates against U.S. forces. He mused Sunday about the possibility of "regime change ″ in Iran, though administration officials had indicated they wanted to restart talks with the country — even directly.

Here is the latest:

One Iranian describes rationing and some panic

An Iranian who fled Tehran says bakeries and gas stations have been rationing supplies and struggling to keep up with people panicking.

“Some people spent a night sleeping in the pump station lines until it was their turn,” the 38-year-old told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity out of safety concerns.

He said they heard explosions Monday targeting the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard headquarters, which he said was in the area in Karaj.

Thousands of Afghans leaving Iran every day

The United Nations estimates that 10,000 Afghans have been returning home from neighboring Iran every day for the past few days.

The U.N. special envoy for Afghanistan tells the U.N. Security Council that communities and the country’s Taliban rulers “have made huge efforts to absorb returnees.” But Roza Otunbayeva says that “without international assistance, there are limits to safe, orderly and peaceful returns.”

Japan watches with ‘maximum sense of urgency’

Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba says he is watching the possibility of a closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran with a “maximum sense of urgency,” as it would severely impact Japan’s energy supply.

Japan relies largely on oil imports from the Middle East.

Ishiba had hoped to discuss the issue during the upcoming NATO summit. But Japanese officials say he has canceled the trip.

Tehran prison reportedly holds French citizens

France is calling for the release of two French citizens believed to be held in Tehran’s Evin prison, which was targeted in an Israeli airstrike.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on social media he spoke with his Iranian counterpart and demanded their liberation and immediate access to consular support.

Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris were arrested in May 2022. French authorities say they were on vacation. Iranian authorities accused them of protesting with Iranian teachers and taking part in an anti-government rally.

Evin Prison has held citizens of Western countries, dual nationals and political prisoners often used by Iran as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West.

Toppled Iranian shah’s son offers to take power

The son of Iran’s last shah has offered to take over the Iranian leadership and lead the country’s transition to democracy.

Reza Pahlavi told a news conference in Paris that the ″regime is defeated, teetering, on the edge of collapse.’′ He claimed he doesn’t seek political power but wants to “help our great nation navigate through this critical hour towards stability, freedom and justice.’’

Pahlavi left Iran at age 17 soon before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Many Iranians have bitter memories of repression under his father’s reign as shah. Others might reject Pahlavi over his outreach to Israel.

Several large Iranian opposition groups are based abroad but they are not united, and it’s unclear how much support any of them has inside the country.

Israel warns Iranians of attacks over ‘the coming days’

Israel's military is warning Iranians it will continue to attack military sites around Tehran over “the coming days.” The military issued the warning on social media, though Iranians are struggling to access the outside world because of an internet shutdown in the country.

The warning says “we ask you to stay away from weapons production centers, military bases and security institutions affiliated with the regime.”

Iran has criticized the warnings as a way to scare its public. However, the Israelis have carried out strikes after their warnings multiple times in the war.

South Africa says UN should lead diplomatic efforts

South Africa calls on the United States, Israel and Iran to allow the United Nations to lead diplomatic efforts to find a resolution.

It also calls on them to allow an inspection and verification of Iran’s uranium enrichment and its nuclear capacity.

South Africa has strong diplomatic ties with Iran, which the Trump administration has criticized.

Hezbollah indicates it won’t join the war between Israel and Iran

The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah indicates that the group will not join the war between Iran and Israel for now. Naim Kassem spoke in his first public comments since the U.S. inserted itself into the war on Sunday. He says his group is ready to back any decision taken by the Lebanese state to force Israel to stop the war.

He also tells the Iran-backed group’s Al-Ahad newspaper in a report published Monday that the attacks on Iran will “have a high cost” as the whole region is in danger, and says U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei are a “vile act and a sign of weakness.”

Trump just ‘raising a question’ about regime change

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says U.S. operations in the Middle East haven’t changed despite Trump raising the possibility of what he called "regime change" in Iran on Sunday.

“The president was just simply raising a question that I think many people around the world are asking,” Leavitt told reporters on Monday.

She added, “if they refuse to engage in diplomacy moving forward, why shouldn’t the Iranian people rise up against this brutal terrorist regime?”

Germany's Merz says ‘no reason’ to criticize Israel's attacks on Iran

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says there’s “no reason” to criticize Israel’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear program or the weekend intervention of the United States.

Merz, whose country is traditionally a staunch ally of Israel, acknowledged Monday that “it is not without risk, but leaving things the way they were was also not an option.”

He said in a speech to a conference of Germany’s main industry lobby group that "for us, and for me personally, there is no reason to criticize what Israel began a week ago, and also no reason to criticize what America did last weekend."

In an interview with ZDF television last week, Merz said “this is the dirty work that Israel is doing for us all.”

Iran was an ‘imminent threat,’ White House press secretary tells ABC

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told ABC News on Monday morning that Iran was an “imminent threat” and Donald Trump is the “first president with the guts to actually do something about it.”

She was definitive about the outcome of U.S. strikes, saying they “took away Iran’s ability to create a nuclear bomb.”

Leavitt also said the administration has a “high degree of confidence” that enriched uranium was stored at the sites that were attacked by the U.S.

“The president would not have launched the strikes if we weren’t confident in that,” she said.

US Embassy in Qatar urges American citizens to shelter in place

The U.S. Embassy in Qatar issued an alert on its website Monday urging American citizens in the energy-rich nation to “shelter in place until further notice," although Qatar later said the situation was "stable."

The embassy did not elaborate, nor did it respond to multiple requests for comment from The Associated Press on the message, which comes as tensions are high in the Middle East after the U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari later put out a statement saying that advisories from foreign embassies “do not necessarily reflect the existence of specific or credible threats.”

“We would like to reassure the public that the security situation in the State remains stable,” he added.

Qatar, across the Persian Gulf from Iran, is home to Al Udeid Air Base, which hosts the forward headquarters of the U.S. military’s Central Command. Iran has threatened American forces at Al Udeid in the past, but not after Sunday’s strike, though state television has mentioned American bases in its broadcasts.

Qatar maintains diplomatic relations with Iran and shares a massive offshore natural gas field with Tehran.

After the U.S. strikes in Iran, security officers at all U.S. embassies and consulates had been instructed to conduct reviews of their post’s security posture and report back to the State Department by late Sunday. It wasn’t immediately clear if that was connected to the alert.

Evin Prison situation under control, Iran's judiciary says

The situation at Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison is under control, Iran’s judiciary said, following an attack by Israeli forces.

“The situation in the prison is under control and all means have been used to manage the prison complex,” the judiciary announced via its Mizan news agency.

It said parts of the prison had been damaged, without elaborating. Video footage showed a gate being blasted open at the site.

Putin meets Iranian foreign minister in show of support for Tehran

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in the Kremlin on Monday, calling the U.S. strikes an “absolutely unprovoked aggression” and reaffirming Russian support for Tehran.

“This is an absolutely unprovoked aggression against Iran; (it) has no basis or justification,” Putin said at Monday’s meeting.

“We, for our part, are making efforts to provide assistance to the Iranian people,” Putin said, noting Russia’s “long-standing, good, reliable relations with Iran.”

Araghchi thanked Russia for condemning the actions of Israel and the U.S. against Iran.

“These aggressive actions by Israel and the U.S. are completely illegitimate and violate international rules and international norms. We are defending our sovereignty and country, and our defense is legitimate,” he said.

Araghchi said that Russia has always been Iran’s partner in the peaceful nuclear energy sector and played a positive role in negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program.

“In the sphere of Iran’s nuclear program, Russia has always been a partner for us. It built the Bushehr nuclear power plant,” he said.

Iran says attacks on nuclear facilities damage non-proliferation efforts

Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Reza Najafi, condemned the “unprecedented act of aggression” against Iranian nuclear facilities by Israel and the U.S. and said that this act “delivered a fundamental and irreparable blow” to the international non-proliferation regime, including the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Najafi was speaking to reporters at an emergency meeting of the U.N. nuclear watchdog board that addressed the situation in Iran.

Najafi said that Iran reserves its right to self-defense. “As long as the source of the threat persists, the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to undertake the necessary, resolute and proportionate measures to neutralize it at the time, place and manner of its own choosing.”

Israel strikes Evin Prison and other Iranian targets

Israel’s Defense Ministry said Israel is currently attacking Iranian governmental targets deep inside the Iranian capital of Tehran, including the notorious Evin prison.

Other targets include the security headquarters of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guards, Palestine Square, and the paramilitary Basij volunteer corps, which is a part of the Revolutionary Guard.

Iranian state TV reported on the strike earlier, sharing what appeared to be black-and-white-surveillance footage. Iranian media speculated the strike may be from a drone.

Evin prison is known for holding dual nationals and Westerners often used by Iran as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West.

Political prisoners and those with Western ties are held in specialized units, run by the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which answers only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The facility is the target of both U.S. and European Union sanctions.

Russia says it stands ready to assist Iran

Russia is ready to help Iran in various ways, depending on what Tehran requests, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.

“Everything depends on what Iran needs,” Peskov said in response to a question at a briefing. “We have offered our mediation efforts. This is concrete."

Peskov added that Russia has openly declared its stance on the Iran-Israel war, calling it an important form of support for Tehran.

“We have stated our position. This is also a very important manifestation, a form of support for the Iranian side,” he said.

He also noted that Iran has been a recurring subject in recent talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.

“The topic of Iran itself was repeatedly discussed by the presidents during their recent conversations,” Peskov told reporters.

Iran's Fordo site was again attacked, Iran state TV says

Iran’s underground enrichment site at Fordo was again attacked Monday, Iranian state television reported.

The report, also carried by other Iranian media, offered no word on damage, nor who launched the assault.

However, Israel has been conducting airstrikes throughout the day in Iran.

The United States launched a major attack Sunday on three Iranian nuclear sites, including Fordo, which required the use of sophisticated bunker-buster bombs.

Tehran experienced some electricity cuts after the Israeli airstrikes in the capital.

Officials in Qom province issued a statement confirming the attack on Fordo, saying there was no immediate danger to the public.

UN nuclear agency says significant damage expected at Iranian underground site

The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said Monday that “very significant damage” is expected at Iran’s underground facility at Fordo after a U.S. airstrike there this weekend with sophisticated bunker-buster bombs.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, made the statement in Vienna.

“Given the explosive payload utilized and the extreme vibration sensitive nature of centrifuges, very significant damage is expected to have occurred,” Grossi said.

Germany's top diplomat calls again for direct Iran-US talks

Germany’s foreign minister is renewing calls for Iran to agree to direct talks with the United States but says Europe still has a role to play.

Johann Wadephul, his French and British counterparts and the European Union’s foreign policy chief met the Iranian foreign minister in Geneva on Friday.

He said Monday: “We already made it very clear to the Iranian side that a real precondition for a settlement to the conflict is that Iran be ready to negotiate directly with the U.S.

“Iran says it only wants to negotiate with Europe, and that is a good sign for us, but we say that isn’t enough – we want to have the United States of America included.”

EU focuses on diplomacy

The European Union is “very much focused on the diplomatic solution” for Iran, the bloc’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said Monday following U.S. strikes on Iran over the weekend.

“The concerns of retaliation and this war escalating are huge,” Kallas said at the start of a foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels where Iran has jumped to the top of the agenda.

“Especially closing of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran is something that would be extremely dangerous and not good for anybody,” Kallas said, referring to a maritime route crucial for oil transport.

The EU has been a key player in diplomatic negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.

France FM rejects leadership change in Iran through force

France’s foreign minister says it would be “illusory and dangerous” to try to bring about a change of government in Iran through military force.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot delivered the French assessment on Monday after President Donald Trump mused on social media about the future of Iran’s ruling theocracy.

Barrot did not mention Trump by name or his post but said: “We reject all attempts to organize a change of regime by force.”

“It would illusory and dangerous to think that such a change can be provoked through force and bombs,” the French minister said.

Iranian attack targets Haifa and Tel Aviv

Iran described the new missile barrage targeting Israel as a new wave of its operation “True Promise 3,” saying it is targeting Haifa and Tel Aviv.

Iranian state television said Tehran used a mix of missiles and drones.

UK's Lammy says US not going after Iran's ‘civilian leadership’

Britain’s foreign minister says he is confident the U.S. is not seeking to overthrow Iran’s government despite a social media post from President Donald Trump suggesting it might be a good idea.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Monday that “it’s clear from Israel and the United States that they’re not going after the civilian leadership” in Tehran. He said “that’s not what’s under consideration at this time.”

Lammy said he spoke to Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday, and the U.K. is pushing to “get the Iranians back to serious diplomacy.”

Lammy told the BBC he has “not seen an assessment yet” of whether the strikes “seriously degraded Iran’s ability to come up with a nuclear program.”

He added that “ultimately this has to be dealt with by diplomacy.”

Iran has a ‘free hand’ to act against US interests, top general says

Iranian Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, the chief of joint staff of armed forces, warned the U.S. on Monday that its strikes gave a "free hand" to Iranian armed forces to “act against U.S. interests and its army.”

Mousavi stressed Iran would not hesitate to do so after the U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday.

He described the American attack as violating Iran’s sovereignty, entering the Israeli war on the country and being tantamount to invading the country.

The state-run IRNA news agency reported Mousavi’s remarks.

Iran's judiciary says it executed another alleged Mossad spy

Iran on Monday hanged a third man accused of being a spy of Israel’s Mossad intelligence service since Israel’s war on the Islamic Republic began.

Activists fear more people will be executed in Iran, particularly after its theocracy issued a Sunday deadline for people to turn themselves in over spying.

The judiciary’s Mizan news agency identified the executed man as Mohammad Amin Mahdavi Shayesteh. Amnesty International previously had raised his case, saying he was held in Ghezal Hesar prison in Iran’s Alborz province.

On Sunday, Iran hanged another man, Majid Mossayebi, whose case only became public after his execution.

On June 16, Iran hanged Esmail Fekri.

North Korea condemns U.S. strikes on Iran

North Korea says it “strongly condemns” the U.S. attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, calling it an egregious violation of Iran’s territorial integrity and security interests.

North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday that the United States and Israel were escalating tensions in the Middle East through the use of military force, and called on the “just-minded international community” to raise a unified voice against their “confrontational behavior.”

Trump claims ‘monumental damage’ inflicted on Iranian nuclear sites

President Donald Trump asserted on his Truth Social platform that Iran’s nuclear sites sustained “monumental damage” in the American attack, though a U.S. assessment on the strikes is still underway.

“The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!” he wrote.

U.S. defense officials have said they are working to determine about just how much damage the strikes did.

Iran as well has not said how much damage was done in the attack, though Tehran has not offered any details so far on the strikes it has faced from Israel in its war with that country.

Iran likely filled in tunnels at nuclear sites ahead of U.S. strikes

An analysis of satellite photos by a nuclear nonproliferation group based in Washington shows Iran likely filled in tunnels at its nuclear site at Isfahan ahead of U.S. strikes early Sunday.

The Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security published satellite images taken by Airbus it assessed showed trucks dumping soil into tunnels at the site on Friday.

The U.S. attack likely targeted the tunnel entries, the group said.

“At least three of the four tunnel entrances are collapsed,” it said. “The status of the fourth one is unclear.”

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Credit: AP